Journey into Darkness
by Sati
Summary: COMPLETE...Part One of the Life of Darkness trilogy...an ambitious set of stories to explain the the life of the greatest Dark wizard ever, Lord Voldemort...presented here are his years at Hogwarts - and the beginning of his life of darkness...
1. A First Year in Diagon Alley

This is the first part of a perhaps overly ambitious trilogy that's been a year in the making...I do hope that you all will enjoy this story...review me and let me know what you think of it...  
  
And I wish to thank all the following people for their help and understanding of my "little" obsession...Chelsea and Joni (my beta- readers)...Mora, Maggie, Reba, and my mother (for all the ideas they've given me)...Clay, Kalayna, Melissa, and all the aforementioned people (for putting up with my obsessive ramblings)...all the people involved in my HP RPG (for indirect inspiration - especially Veg {Snape} and Bu {Lucius} for their *very* interesting duel)...and, most especially, J.K. Rowling for writing her wonderful story and who owns Harry Potter and all its characters and ideas (only my original character are my property)...  
  
Chapter #1 - A First Year in Diagon Alley  
  
A rather pale, black haired eleven-year-old boy stood in front of the Leaky Cauldron. His name was Tom Riddle. He looked at the directions that had been included with his acceptance letter to Hogwarts and confirmed he was at the right place. He wished someone from the orphanage would have come with him to help him but they had all refused, though they had never really been all that nice to him anyway and now he knew why. Taking a deep breath, he entered the pub and glanced around at all the oddly dressed people, none of whom seemed to pay him much attention. He walked up to the counter and looked at the middle-aged, brown haired man behind it.  
  
"Er.......excuse me..."  
  
"New 'a Hogwarts?"  
  
"Um...yeah."  
  
"Edward," he said to a man a little ways down the counter.  
  
"Yeah, I can take him." The man with a blue cloak smiled as he stood with a nod and smile. "Come on."  
  
The boy followed Edward out a back door into a small, empty courtyard. He lead him to a metal trash can and took out his wand. He pointed at the brick at the top of the trash can and said "three up and two across", following his spoken directions with his wand, then tapped that brick three times, stepping back a little. The bricks suddenly began to move and shift until an archway formed. On the other side was a long street with shops lining each side. The two of them went through the arch and headed down the street.  
  
"Do you have Muggle money?"  
  
"Muggle?"  
  
"Muggles are non-magic people," he clarified.  
  
"Oh...yeah, I do have some Muggle money, but not much."  
  
"Well, I'll take you to Gringotts and you can change it."  
  
A slightly puzzled look came to his face. "Okay."  
  
As the two of them walked down the street, Edward said nothing to Tom. The first year was too busy taking in all the wonderful sights anyway. The cauldron shop, wand shop, owlery, and book shop. It was amazing and too much for him to see all at once. He knew that he would be back at many of the shops, though, to get his school supplies. He soon was at a building that was the largest one on the street. A short, wrinkly creature nodded to them as they walked past him, entering the bank.  
  
They went to up to the long counter and found a free goblin. "This lad needs to get some Muggle money changed."  
  
"I see," the creature said, peering at him through his glasses.  
  
"I...um," he fumbled in his pocket, "actually I have...this...this key."  
  
The goblin took a small silver key from the boy's shaking hand. He studied it for a moment. "Vault four-hundred nineteen, I believe. Trundle!"  
  
Another goblin hurried over. He took the key from the goblin behind the counter and turned to the boy, motioning for him to follow. Edward followed Tom as the goblin led them off, towards one of the many doors off of the large room.  
  
"Where'd you get that," he asked, pointing toward the goblin that was carrying it off.  
  
"It was my mum's. She was a...a witch. She left it to me when she died. Told the orphanage that it was a key to Gringotts. I had forgotten about it till you mentioned the name of the bank."  
  
"Well." He seemed rather surprised. "Do you think you might need any more help?"  
  
"Uh.no, I think I can manage." He smiled. "Thanks for your help."  
  
"Not a problem. I was in your shoes once too, lad. Have a good first year."  
  
With a pat on the back, Edward left the bank. The goblin led Tom down a stone passageway till they reached a small railway. With a whistle, a cart came up to them. The two climbed in then were off at an amazing speed down a maze of tracks. There were plenty of sharp turns and sudden dips. They were going so fast that it was making Tom's stomach churn. They suddenly stopped and he felt better instantly, though still a bit dizzy. He climbed out of the cart and followed the creature to a door. The goblin unlocked it and the door swung open. Inside were several piles of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Tom's eyes widened considerably.  
  
"Take what you want," Trundle said.  
  
Tom picked up a gold coin, looking at it, turning it over. "I don't know how much I'll need."  
  
"Supplies for first years typically cost about forty Galleons, the gold ones. The silver ones are Sickles and the bronze ones Knuts." The goblin handed him a brown leather bag. "Twenty-nine Knuts make a Sickle and seventeen Sickles make a Galleon."  
  
"Alright." He looked at the pile, pocketing the one Galleon he had been holding. "I'll take a little more than that. I'm sure they'll be something else I'll need."  
  
The first year took two large handfuls of Galleons then one handful each of the Knuts and Sickles. When he was finished, he turned to Trundle. The goblin nodded, locked the vault, then returned the key to Tom. They climbed back into the cart and were off. They soon arrived back to where they had first gotten into the cart and got out, returning to the bank. Tom thanked the goblin and left the bank.  
  
For the rest of the afternoon, Tom went to each of the shops, getting his books, robes, cauldron, and other various items on his list. When he got his cauldron, he suddenly began to wonder if he would be able to carry it all since his cauldron could, in fact, hold all his books and more. He asked one of the witches in the cauldron shop about it and she just smiled, pointing him down the street to a shop that sold magical trunks. There, much to his relief, he found a trunk that said "Shrinking, Never-Heavy Trunk - No matter what is put in it, it never gets heavier! Shrinks when locked for easier carrying!" It cost fourteen Galleons and, counting how much money he had left, he decided to buy it, glad he had gotten out the extra money now. He shoved all his things into it, locked it, and lifted the now small trunk easily. He thanked the store's owner and left to go down to the wand shop in a bit of a hurry, seeing that it was getting quite dark. As soon as he walked in, he had to duck as a box came flying his way. He looked at the man that had tossed the box as he went for another, handing a wand to a girl with light brown haired who was standing on a stool in the middle of the shop.  
  
"Willow. Nine and one-half inches. Dragon heartstring. Flexible." The girl waved it but the man grabbed the wand away and handed her another. "Holly. Ten inches. Unicorn hair." When she waved it, though, the window to the shop broke. The store's owner quickly took that wand, said something that made the window fix itself, muttering to himself about hard customers. The girl was looking annoyed. "Not to worry. We shall find your wand." He set that wand aside and handed her a third, which he did not even describe before taking it away and giving her another. "Oak. Seven and one-half inches. Phoenix Feather. Springy." She waved it but nothing happened this time. The man muttered to himself again, disappeared into the back of the shop for a moment, then came back with five new boxes. He gave her a fifth wand. "Let's try this one. Ebony. Nine and one- fourth inches. Dragon heartstring." Again, nothing. The man took away that wand and gave her another. "Willow. Eleven and three-quarter inches. Phoenix feather."  
  
The girl waved the wand and a streak of dark blue light came out of it. She smiled and her mother paid for the wand immediately. The shop's owner gave a sigh of relief, setting aside the other three wand boxes in his arms. He always had at least one hard customer a year and she was hopefully the only one this year.  
  
Tom bent over and picked up one of the wands that had fallen from the stool the girl was getting off. As soon as he did so, the man turned to him. With a wave of the wand, golden-red sparks came from the wand.  
  
"Yew. Thirteen and a half inches. Phoenix feather." The elderly man walked to him. "Intriguing. It's rare someone gets their right wand on the first try. But it would seem, it came to you, young man."  
  
The girl walked over to him and looked at him then the wand. "You mean he didn't have to go through all that hassle?"  
  
"Apparently not, Miss Westbrook." Mr. Ollivander did not look at the girl, his eyes remaining on the boy as the girl behind him sighed heavily, obviously unhappy with that fact. The man studied Tom for a moment. "Your name?"  
  
"Tom Riddle."  
  
"Riddle...Riddle...hmm." He scratched his chin. "Not heard that name in a while. From a Muggle family, are you?"  
  
"Mum was a witch, Sir."  
  
"Ah...got your father's name have you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The man nodded. "Alright then. Wand's seven Galleons."  
  
Tom gave him the coins and then looked at the girl, who was still staring at him and his wand. She was rather lovely, he thought. She had a certain air about her that made him smile at her. She seemed to have gotten over her disappointment and now just seemed curious about him. She reached out her hand, returning the smile.  
  
"I'm Lena Westbrook, Tom."  
  
"Lena..."  
  
"What," she asked, looking around at her mother.  
  
"It's rude to introduce yourself to strange boys."  
  
"Oh, Mum."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Lena."  
  
The girl turned back to him, smiling again. "See you on the first?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Lena's mother took her hand and dragged her out of the wand shop as she giggled slightly and waved good bye. Tom followed a little farther behind and went to the Leaky Cauldron. He stopped there and had dinner before he had to go catch the train that would take him back to Great Hangleton. When he left the pub and emerged onto Charing Cross Road then made his way to the train station to return to the orphanage. 


	2. The Orphanage

Chapter #2 - The Orphanage  
  
"And just *how* did you manage to buy all this...stuff. You most *certainly* have not saved enough of your pocket money for all this," said one of the elderly women in charge of the orphanage in Great Hangleton as she studied Tom's trunk.  
  
"Stole it, probably," said another one of the other old women that was staring at the contents of Tom's trunk.  
  
"No, I bought all of it!" He was rather furious that the old bats had insisted that they go through his trunk when he got back. The other boys that shared the room with him had watched, sniggering to each other. He was not about to tell them that his mom had left him a fortune, though. "I had plenty of money."  
  
"Hmph!" The first woman that had spoken looked at him harshly. "A likely story!"  
  
"It's the truth!"  
  
"Well, the sooner you get out of here, the better. You've been nothing but trouble since that midwife brought you to us."  
  
"I'm glad I'm leaving! I don't want to be here any more than you want me here!"  
  
"Good. Then don't bother coming back over any of the holidays!"  
  
"Exactly, we don't want you," the other old woman said.  
  
And with that, the two women left the room, slamming the door, making the electric lights flicker slightly. Tom scowled after them then turned to his trunk, seeing one of the boys he shared the room with looking at his trunk's contents. He slammed the trunk closed and the boy glared at him.  
  
"We always knew you were a freak, Riddle, now it's been proven."  
  
The other five boys laughed.  
  
"Like I said, I'm glad I'm leaving!"  
  
"Really?" One of the other boys had come over too. "So you like being a freak?"  
  
Tom ignored him.  
  
"Ooh, don't want to stand up for yourself, huh?"  
  
Tom opened his trunk and pulled out a book, which the biddies had not seen. He showed them the title and the two boys drew back some. He was smiling evilly. "Don't want me to hex you, now do you?"  
  
"You don't even know how."  
  
"But I will soon enough." His evil smile remained. "So don't try anything or you might just come to regret it."  
  
One of the boys on the other side of his trunk cracked his knuckles. "But you don't know them now. That means you're just a good target."  
  
"Don't forget what happened last time when David tried to beat me up." Tom looked maliciously over to a boy who was sitting on his bed by the window then back to the boys in front of him. "I don't think either of you wants worse to happen to you."  
  
Tom was talking, of course, about the time, not three months ago, that David had tried to make him bruised and bloody over Tom spilling his tea on him by accident. Before David could land a blow, though, Tom had somehow "thrown" a porcelain teapot at him and nearly blinded him when the pot broke against his face and cut deep gashes in his cheek and forehead. He had gotten in a lot of trouble even though he had been over ten feet from where the teapot had been sitting. Strange things like that had happened before so they all knew it was him.  
  
The two boys glared at Tom for only a moment longer before they turned to go back to finish getting ready to do their daily chores, which had been postponed due to Tom's arrival. As Tom changed into the only other set of clothes he owned, the ones that he normally wore around the orphanage, he thought about how much he hated the orphanage. He tossed his hex book back into his trunk before he left, then stowed the trunk under his bed.  
  
"So, how are you supposed to be getting to this...Hogpimples?"  
  
"Hogwarts," he corrected irritated, as he usually was.  
  
"Yeah, yeah."  
  
"Train from King's Cross on September first."  
  
"A rather *unmagical* way to get to a school for *witchcraft*."  
  
Though Tom fully agreed with this, he was not about to say anything. Trains were rather, as the man had said in Diagon Alley, "Muggle"...but his ticket had said Platform 9 ¾, which he knew could not be a "real" platform. It had to be magical, like how he got into Diagon Alley. He wanted to already be at Hogwarts. He wanted to get away from this horrible orphanage he had grown up in.  
  
They all left the room together and went about doing things that they had planned for their chores that day, which Tom had twice as much to do since he had not been there yesterday. The day drug by for him, unlike the day before had. Soon they sat down for dinner and all the other boys were allowed to out and play in what was left of the evening while Tom was made to go wash all of the dishes from dinner then scrub down the dining hall by himself, which three people were typically assigned to do, not just one.  
  
Completely exhausted, Tom returned to his now dark room and changed into his night shirt, which was tattered and almost too small to wear anymore. He then climbed into bed which a great yawn. Soon he would be at Hogwarts, though, and there would hopefully be no more of these chores to do. He thought about the book ob hexes that he had bought the day before. He had gotten this book even though it was not one of the required books for the year. He wanted it so he could use the spells on the people here. That would set them straight. After all the years he had been tortured for being able to do "strange things" he knew it would only get worse now. He would not let them go unpunished for making his life so horrible.  
  
But there was one other person that had made his life horrible too...his father. As his thoughts turned to him, he scowled. His father, he had come to learn only recently, had left his mother when he found out she was a witch, knowing that she was pregnant with a child...him. He had returned to his parents' home in Little Hangleton, which was just a few miles from where he was in Great Hangleton. Though he wanted to go see him, he did not think that the man he had been named for, Tom Riddle, would care anything for him, especially since he too had magic in him. He had heard rumors of the man and none of them were good. Yet, even more than the kids and old ladies at the orphanage, he wanted to make his father's life horrible. His father, who did not care anything for him - who would probably have just as well seen him die when his mother had died in childbirth, would pay one day for that.  
  
Fluffing up his feather pillow, he sighed. One more month at this place. That was all he had to deal with...one more month. That was the best birthday present he had ever gotten - of course, he had never gotten any presents before. Speaking of his birthday, it was not that far away, only a week and a half. But it did not matter, no one would remember. He was lucky he even knew when it was. He yawned, rolled into a more comfortable position, then he drifted off to sleep. Dreams of trains and magic filled his sleep. Then darker dreams came to him...ones that made a *very* twisted smile come to his sleeping face.  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Agent Casey Percius - yes...you got the first review...like I promised you could...^_^...it was (and will continue to be) a pleasure to have you as a beta-reader...  
  
Morgan - *giggles*...I have another character that has the last name Morgan...but...anyway...thanks for the review...I plan to post a chapter weekly...though if I get lots of reviews, I'll put up at least two a week...I have enough chapters already written to do that... 


	3. Start of a Friendship

Chapter #3 - Start of a Friendship  
  
Tom was grateful that his last month at the orphanage was uneventful, but as he packed the other boys in the room asked him something that unnerved him: "don't you have to come back here over the summer holiday?" As he left that evening to go down to the local train station to make his way to London on a night train, that question still bothered him. Though the holidays had been mentioned before to him, it had not really sunk in until then. Even his sleep, as he traveled south, was troubled by this. It was not until he got off the train at King's Cross that the thought of the next summer left him. He had to figure out how to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters now and that was more important than the next June.  
  
After having his breakfast in a nearby café, he made his to Platforms Nine and Ten, mulling over this how he would find the way to the train. He wished that the school had sent instructions on this as well. How would he find it? When he reached the two platforms, he walked down towards the other end then turned around when he got there. He had seen nothing. No secret entrance jumped out at him, no subtleties caught his eye. He sighed.  
  
There was no point in asking one of the workers, for they were most certainly all Muggle. There should be other students going too, right? He could just asked them, if he found any of them. As he made his way back up the divide between the platforms, he noticed that two kids, a little older than him, lugging large trunks behind them. They just seemed to be the right ones to ask. They crossed over between the pillars and so did Tom. He had to ask them if they knew...but they were not there.  
  
Puzzled, he walked up to the pillars they had disappeared behind but did not see them. He stood there, wondering where they had gone, for several minutes. It was only a little while, though, before another teenager and her parents came up. They walked up to the stone pillar and literally vanished into it. Tom stood there in awe. How had they done that?  
  
Tom continued to stare at the barrier for nearly half an hour. He watched plenty of people go through it but he did not know if you had to do a spell of anything. No one had paid him any attention at all. It was going to be eleven soon and the train left at *exactly* eleven. He kicked his trunk slightly then heard someone call his name. He looked up and saw the girl from the wand shop running up to him. He smiled at her, but it faded when he saw her mother and two men carrying her trunk and another with an owl in a lovely silver cage coming up behind her.  
  
"Hello, Tom."  
  
"Hello." He looked back at the divider between platforms nine and ten. "I've seen people going through..."  
  
"Just walk straight through it."  
  
"That's it," he said in amazement.  
  
"Yeah," she said with a smile and nod.  
  
Tom picked up his magical trunk and looked at where the barrier was. He sighed then hurried through it. When he was on the other side, his eyes widened as they fell over the red train that many students were piling into. He turned around when he heard Lena giggling.  
  
"That was fun," she said as she walked up to Tom.  
  
"I think that this is going to be the greatest year of my life," he said, looking back at the train and several students around it.  
  
"I'm sure it will be."  
  
When the girl's mother came through behind her, he walked to the train, he got on and looked for an empty compartment. Finding one, he plopped down in his seat and pulled out his Hogwarts robes he had in a bag in his trunk. He changed quickly and stuffed his old clothes into the bag. As he was setting it aside, Lena slid open the door a little and peeked in, holding the cage while one of the men lugged the trunk up behind her.  
  
"Can I join you?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Thanks." She came in and sat down across from him, setting her owl on the seat beside her while the man placed the trunk under the window and took his leave. "I really don't know anyone going to this school because nearly all of my friends went to Beauxbatons. I thought I might at least sit with someone whose name I know."  
  
A slight pink came to Tom's cheeks. "Thanks."  
  
"Forgive my asking, but I remember you saying that your mother's a witch?"  
  
"She was, but she died when I was born."  
  
"So you only have your Muggle father?"  
  
"No, my father left my mum when he found out she was a witch. I was raised in an orphanage."  
  
"You had no other relatives to take care of you?"  
  
"Not that I know of."  
  
"That's sad." She looked down. "I know that must have been hard on you."  
  
The boy shrugged. "I got used to it, even though I hate it there. No one wants anything to do with me now that I've been accepted to Hogwarts, even though that wasn't that big of a change from the way they were treating me before."  
  
"Muggles just don't understand."  
  
The train suddenly lurched forward. Tom looked out the window and saw the station slowly moving away. He looked back at Lena who looked very excited. She smiled at him and he smiled right back. He could understand why she felt excited, because he felt the same.  
  
The eagle owl beside her made a cute noise and Lena turned to him then looked back at Tom. "This is Taliesin."  
  
Tom looked at the bird curiously, remembering the one that had delivered his acceptance letter. "Do all owls deliver post?"  
  
"Most do, yes. That's the way wizards have sent posts for years and years, though some use other means." She looked around. "Do you have a pet?"  
  
"No, I didn't feel like a cat or owl."  
  
Lena nodded, understanding. "Well, not everyone at the school has a pet, anyway."  
  
"So," Tom said, looking at her, "what can you tell me about Hogwarts?"  
  
Lena smiled broadly then began talking about the school. She told him about the teachers, the four houses, what sort of classes to expect. She then went off on a tangent and began talking about Beauxbatons, a school in Southern France, which her mother had wanted her to go to. She said that her parents were friends with the Headmistress and she had almost gone but that her father did not want her to be as snobbish as most of the students there.  
  
The only reason she stopped talking was when a woman pushing a food trolley asked if they wanted anything. They gladly took several cauldron cakes, pumpkin juice, and some chocolate frogs. Lena suggested, though, that they take their time eating since the Welcoming Feast would not be till about an hour after they arrived because of the sorting.  
  
While they ate, Lena started talking about her family. She said she came from a line of pureblooded witches and wizards that went back to even before the time Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years earlier. As she spoke of her family, Tom began to feel rather miserable and Lena stopped when she noticed this.  
  
"I'm sorry. My talking of my family..."  
  
"It's alright. I'm glad you have a family."  
  
"But I've made you unhappy."  
  
"It's alright." He smiled at her. "Maybe one day I'll have a family too."  
  
"I hope you will. Everyone needs a family."  
  
After a few minutes of silence between them, Lena hopped up and began rummaging through her trunk. She pulled out her robes and looked at Tom, though said nothing. He nodded, stood up, and left the compartment so she could change. After only a few moments, she pulled open the door and he came back in. The only difference between her uniform and his was the fact that it had a knee-length skirt instead of pants, and the shoes were different. They smiled at each other then resumed their seats.  
  
The landscape outside the windows was growing dark but they could tell that there were mountains on the horizon. It would not be long before they got to Hogwarts, an hour or so at the most. Both of them were getting more and more excited.  
  
"I'd like to hear about this orphanage you grew up in, if you don't mind, that is."  
  
"No, of course not, though there's mainly only bad things that I have to say about it."  
  
"I mainly want to hear about Muggle *things*...like the thing my dad's told me about. I think he called it 'e-leek-tre-sa-tea?'"  
  
"Electricity," he corrected.  
  
"Yes, that was it. Does it really light things up brighter than candlelight?"  
  
"Yes, it does."  
  
For the rest of the trip, Tom explained some of the things about Muggles, like electricity and autos. Lena was amazed at how Muggles had found ways to get on without magic. Soon the train slowed and they stopped talking. A voice echoed down the train, saying: "We'll be in Hogsmeade in five minutes. Leave your luggage as that it will be taken to the school separately." They smiled broadly to each other.  
  
When the train stopped, Lena and Tom stood and left the train with all the other students of mixed years. They emerged out onto the dark platform. The weather was cool with a slight breeze, but their uniforms were quite enough to keep them warm. They were there...they were at Hogwarts!  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Aubrey Lee Briar - *shakes head at your keeping him in the trunk/suitcase so much*...it's okay if I don't get reviews...I just won't start posting two chapters a week till I get at least 5 reviews a chapter is all...I'll have the 4th chapter up by next weekend...  
  
Sabrina Black Snapeish - glad you find it interesting...hope you'll continue to enjoy my story...ja ne! ^_~  
  
Liv - thanks for letting me know you added me to your faves...I'll update weekly, unless I get more reviews...thanks for your approval of Tom...I'm still trying to squeeze the last bit of niceness out of my idea of Voldemort but it's hard to do...but he does start getting evil rather quickly once he gets to Hogwarts...  
  
***  
  
People...more reviews = more chapters...so if I get lots of reviews, you get more chapters...^_^...I have 33 chapters finished already, so please let me know what you think ...I do accept unsigned reviews so those without accounts can still review me... 


	4. The Sorting Problem

Chapter #4 – The Sorting Problem 

A very muscular, deeply tanned middle-aged man carrying a lantern stood outside the train.  "First years!  Come on!  First years this way!"

Tom and Lena walked side-by-side after the man off the platform and down a steep, dark slope in silence, along with the rest of the first years.  They came out over a huge lake, which had lights dancing over the dark surface.  The students all looked up and gasped.  There was the castle.  For a moment, everyone just stood there, staring at the castle on top of the mountain across the lake with lights shimmering in the windows and towers rising into the night sky.  The man walked down to a group of boats along the shore.

"Alright, into the boats.  No more than four in a boat now.  Let's go."

After scrambling into one of the boats, Tom helped Lena in.  A sandy blonde haired boy asked if he could get into the boat and they both said "yes" so he climbed in.  When all the other students were in their boats, the man climbed into the center boat after all the students were in then cast off, all the boats following his across the lake magically.  The area around them was very dark but the castle on top of the mountain was giving off a lovely light.  Everyone around them was staring up at that castle.

"It is beautiful, isn't it," someone nearby said.

On the other side of them another new student said: "I've never dreamed of such a great castle!"

The other boy in the boat with Tom and Lena was just as in awe of the castle as Tom was, his mouth slightly open.  "Wow…"

Lena giggled slightly.  "Wait till the two of you are inside."

"Oh," the boy seemed to come out of a trance, "by the way, I'm Daniel Black."

"Tom Riddle," he shook the boy's hand.

"Lena Westbrook."

"Pleased to meet both of you."

Soon they were at the base of the cliff and the man in the lead boat called: "Everyone duck."

The first years all did so as their boats went under a wall of ivy, which covered a cave entrance.  They stopped at a large pier, which had torches lighting it.  They clamored out of the boats and followed the man up a set of stairs carved into the stone.  Soon they emerged from the passage and walked toward the castle that towered over them.  Many of the students were craning their necks to look up at it.  They went up the stairs to the front oak doors.  The man knocked on the front door and it opened immediately.  A tall, slender, white haired woman in red robes stood there.

"Professor Madril, here they are."

"Very well, Ogg.  We are ready for them.  First years, follow me, please."

The group of about forty first years followed the professor through a large oak door.  Beyond those doors were four long tables that held about seventy people of varying ages.  They walked down an aisle between the middle two tables.  As they approached a fifth table, which the teachers were sitting at, they saw an old hat sitting on a three-legged stool.  They heard it say "ah" as they stopped in front of it.  Professor Madril passed the stool, going to the staff table and picking up a scroll.  She turned back to the students but said nothing.  Suddenly, the old hat began to sing:

For nearly a chiliad

I've been used each new year

To place the young students

With the ones that are their peers.

The four houses here at Hogwarts,

Each has their own history,

Their founders were great wizards,

Oh, that is no real mystery.

The puzzle is what's in your mind

And I can see that quite fine;

So just place me on your head

And I'll see with which you align.

You might go into Gryffindor

If you're brave and sure;

These bold souls will prevail

In the challenges they endure.

If your mind is clever

And books your greatest friend,

Then perhaps it will be

Ravenclaw where you'll end.

If you value honesty

And work hard everyday,

Then it is perfectly clear

That Hufflepuff's where you'll stay. 

But you'll be a Slytherin

If it's power you espouse;

Those with great ambitions

All belong in this house.

Whichever house you go to

That's where you most belong,

For this old sorting hat

Has never yet been wrong.

The hall erupted in applause.  The witch unrolled a scroll as the hall fell into silence and read the first name aloud: "Asher, Nicholas."

A rather plump, brown haired boy walked up to the stool and sat down.  He looked quite nervous when he sat down, facing the rest of the school.  Professor Madril placed the hat on his head, which covered his eyes some, and, after a moment, the hat shouted: "Hufflepuff!"

The table on the far left cheered and welcomed their new member as he went over to greet them.  He sat down with a smile and looked back at the rest of the first years.

Next was the boy that had sat on the boat with them.  "Black, Daniel."

The boy sat on the stool and had the hat on his head.  There was a moment's pause but only a moment.  The hat let out a great shout: "Gryffindor!"  The table on the far right cheered and the boy hurried over, sitting next to a boy of about fifteen that looked a good deal like him, except that the older boy had darker hair.  Both Lena and Tom knew they had to be brothers.

Madril continued down the list through just over thirty students, soon Tom knew it was going to be his turn.  "Raleigh, Darrell."

Tom took a deep breath, knowing his name *_had*_ to be next.  How many people could come between Raleigh and Riddle?  He watched the boy be sorted into Gryffindor then looked at the professor as she turned back to the list.

"Riddle, Tom."

Tom walked up to the stool and sat down.  The witch put the Sorting Hat on his head.  It sunk down over his eyes and all he saw was darkness.

_"Well, well, well."_  The voice in his head was crystal clear.  _"Interesting.  Very interesting indeed.  I have no doubt of where to put you then.  Absolutely none.  That thirst...oh, yes.  Quite cunning too, I see.  It's_…Slytherin!"

The Slytherin table clapped politely, of course, but they were whispering amongst themselves as the first year walked to them even as they clapped.  They seriously doubted he was pureblood with that last name and yet he was placed into their house.  He could feel the slightly irritated looks he got, though he made no eye contact with any of the students, his continued to look at Lena as six more students were sorted, then she stood alone.

The first year girl glanced at Tom right before her name was called.  She wanted to be with him but doubted her disposition would allow her to get into Slytherin.  When Professor Madril called her name, she sighed and strode up to the stool.  The hat was placed on her head after she sat down and she waited.

_"Quite a mind you have.  Definitely...definitely."_

_"Slytherin,"_ she said in her mind, half pleading.

_"No, you are not ambitious enough to belong in that house, even though you would like to be there."_  The hat paused for a moment.  _"You are very loyal, I see, and have it in you to be a great friend...but Hufflepuff isn't for you.  No, no, no.  I do not see you being as hard a worker as is important to the ones in that house.  But you are very brilliant and sharp-witted.  Clever…so clever.  You are...Ravenclaw!"_

Tom's heart sank instantly.  He watched her walk to the table just on the other side of the central walkway and sit down so she could face him.  They smiled slightly at each other but the smiles quickly faded as the headmaster stood to give out a few notices then, with that done, elderly man said "The feast has begun," clapped his hands, and piles of glorious food appeared on their golden plates.

Lena picked up a piece of basted chicken and began to eat when she looked back up at Tom.  His eyes were on the piles of food around him.  He slowly picked up one of the forks and tried the mashed potatoes on his plate.  His eyes widened but he did not eat anymore of it.  He tried some of the peas next, then the chicken, then some of the corn.  She frowned when she saw that he had not eaten anything more than the single bite of each.  She wondered what was wrong, and especially if it dealt with them going into different houses.

Once dinner was over, the plates were cleared and a moment later, the desserts appeared on their plates.  Tom did not even touch his.  He frowned at his steamed ginger pudding and sighed, folding his hands in his lap.  He had no appetite.  He looked over at Lena and she was still watching him.  He noticed she was not touching her pudding either.  He smiled at her and she returned it.  He turned just a little pink when a girl beside her started to giggle and obviously asked her about him.  So she had already made friends in her house.

The older students were already making their way out of the Great Hall to their houses but a prefect from each house kept the first years from leaving so soon.  The black-haired prefect with the Slytherins introduced himself as Shuji Mizutani, and informed them that he would be taking them down to their house in a few minutes.  After all the other students were gone, the prefects led the new students out of the hall.  The Slytherins went down the stairs on the other side of the main stairs.  They emerged in what appeared to be the dungeon.  They were led down the hall till they reached area of bare, moss covered dungeon wall and the prefect stopped.

"Snake eyes."

A door that looked like the rest of the wall slid away into the stone next to it and they all entered the Slytherin common room, a room that looked more like a dungeon than a comfortable place to socialize.  It was lit by lamps with green globes that hung from the ceiling on chains.  All the furniture was upholstered with green, well-worn velvet.  The room was empty except for the incoming first years.  The windows looked out over the dark lake.  It felt rather eerie to Tom but none of the other students seemed to feel the same way.

A blonde boy that had been staring at Tom since he had first sat at the table in the Great Hall and had walked close to him the entire way down to the common room turned to him.  "You're not a pureblood, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then why did you get put into *_this*_ house?"  His voice had gotten a little louder.  "We are *_all*_ purebloods here."

"I don't know.  The hat said that…"

"It doesn't matter."  The boy did not care that everyone else was staring.  "Mudbloods aren't supposed to be allowed in this house.  You Muggle-born filth!"

The boy punched him in the nose and Tom stumbled backwards.  Blood trailed down over his lips.  The prefect that had showed them to the common room held the other boy back from getting in another hit.  All the other first years were in shock.

"The Sorting Hat wouldn't have put him here for no reason," the prefect said.

"I can't help it if my mum fell in love with a bastard of a Muggle!"  Tom licked away the blood from his lips as it continued to flow from his nose  "My mum was a witch and my Muggle dad left her when he found out that she was, *_before* I was born.  I don't know why I was put here.  That hat said that there was something interesting about me and then said it knew just where to put me, so I'm here."_

The room was quiet.  The first years stood a bit shocked.  Shuji let go of the boy that had punched Tom.  They all swore they had heard a door or two open from down either of the two corridors that lead off from the room.

"I'm sorry if I have destroyed the *_purity*_ of this house but I cannot change houses, can I?"

"Tom," the Japanese boy began, "the Sorting Hat knows best.  I am sure you will do equally as well as most of the purebloods in here."

The still bloody first year nodded.  "I intend to."

"Now," the teenager rounded on the rest of the first years, "you will treat him with respect.  Here we are family and he is one of us, even if he *_is*_ a Half-blood.  We *_cannot* be divided amongst ourselves."_

All the new students nodded.

"With that settled…the boys' dormitory is down this hallway to your left, the girls' is down that way to the right.  Your rooms are the third door down.  Your things are already there."

The boys went down the hall to their room and entered.  Five four-posted beds with emerald green tapestries sat in the fairly square room.  Their trunks were at the foot of their beds with their house scarves on top of it.  Tom walked to his bed and lay down, dangling his feet as he wiped away some more blood with the back of his hand then he clapped his nose to put pressure on it for it to stop bleeding.  A handkerchief was dangled in front of his face and he looked up at the blonde-haired boy that had punched him, though he seemed no friendlier.

"Sorry," he said, as though he were being forced to apologize.

"Don't worry."  He took the handkerchief.  "Wasn't the first time I've gotten a bloody nose."

"By the way," he said, his voice still holding an air of contempt, "I'm Crinis…Crinis Tisserand."

He shook the boy's hand with the one that had no blood on it.  "Tom Riddle."

"You said your mum's a witch?  What's her maiden name?"

"Raghnall, I think."

Crinis' jaw dropped.  He seemed to be lost for words.

"Raghnall?"  A boy at the end of the room began staring at him.  "Is her first name Dana?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure.  I can't be certain though 'cause I never knew her.  She died giving birth to me.  I was raised in a Muggle orphanage."

"No wonder you're in Slytherin, then!  My dad went to school with her and both of them were in this house.  She's from a *_great* wizard family."  The black-haired boy walked to Tom and sat on the bed beside him.  "I'm Darcy MacNair."_

"Glad to meet you."  Tom shook his hand smiling slightly.  "I was hoping that this wouldn't end up being as bad as that Muggle orphanage I've been living in."

"We'll make you feel as welcome as we can," Crinis said now with a warm smile on his face, patting his on the shoulder.

"Hey," another boy said, "you and one of the Ravenclaw girls were sure eyeing each other."

"Yeah.  We're friends, I guess.  We rode here on the train together and she told me a lot about the school and her family.  We were hoping to get in the same house.  Her name's Lena."

"I see."  The brown-haired boy walked up to him, holding out a hand.  "I'm Rex Dorian."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Hey, Lestrange!  Come greet Tom," Crinis said to another brown-haired boy at the bed across from them who was going through his things.

"Not right now."

"Come on, Nathan."

"In a minute," he hissed, still searching through books and extra robes, almost frantically.

"What *_are* you looking for," Rex asked._

"Just something."  He finally pulled out a book and brought it over.  He turned to a specific page before he handed it to Tom.  "This has some pictures of my parents when they were at school.  If I remember right, this girl here is Dana Raghnall.  She was a year older than my dad."

Tom looked at the picture of a group of people.  The picture was black and white, and the figures in it were moving.  He was not surprised by this because his book for potions had the potion in it for making moving photographs and a moving picture beside it of its creator whipping up the mixture.  The boy was pointing at a lovely dark-haired young woman of about sixteen.  She was smiling, sitting rather proper in one of the high-backed chairs he had seen in the common room.  One of the boys in the background was waving.  Tom smiled up at Nathan.

"Thanks for showing this to me.  Now I know what she looks like."

"I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind you having this picture, if you'd like it."

Tom was shocked.  "I could have it?"

"Of course."  He pulled the picture free of the album and handed it to Tom.  "Here."

"Thank you," he said, staring down at his mother.

"You're welcome."  He closed the book.  "I can't think of what it would be like to grow up without parents.  I know it must have been hard on you."

"Did you at least know that you were a wizard," Rex asked, through a yawn.

"No.  I didn't find out until I got my acceptance letter this summer.  The old bats that run the orphanage said they 'forgot to mention it.'"

"Muggles are so stupid," Crinis said, sneering.

"I do agree," Tom said.

"Well, I'm exhausted."  Nathan yawned, stretching.  "What about you all?  Want to get to sleep?  We *_do*_ have classes in the morning."

Rex groaned.  "I don't want classes to start tomorrow."

"I agree," Crinis said, "but it would be best to go on to bed."

"It was a long day, wasn't it," Darcy said, heading to his bed.

"Yes," said all the other boys together.

The boys all changed into their pajamas and got into bed.  One of the boys did a spell and the oil lamps on the walls dimmed considerably.  They all said good night to each other and silence took them over.  Whether or not the others went to sleep immediately, Tom did not.  He lay awake, thinking how great this all was.  He had companions.  He was away from the orphanage.  He looked at the table by his bed where he had put the picture Nathan had given him…and he knew what his mother had looked like now.  He could not remember being so happy in his life.

***

To my reviewers –

Liv – I'm so glad that you still like it…and I hope that that will continue…it's going to be a long story…hope you can hold out till then…and don't worry…Tom'll get rather evil rather quickly…at least, that's how I think it is…making him evil is rather hard…^_^;

Sabrina Black Snapeish – I do plan to put in some of the current characters' relatives…but with the timeline I have that's based on Rowling's, I might have to do some poking and prodding to get them in there (they'd be older students, not in Tom's year)…though if you notice, Sirius' relative's in Tom's year…^_~…thanks for the help…it's always welcome…if you have any other suggestions, you can always e-mail me…I'm always glad to get suggestions…*glares at your cuddling with *my*Tom*…

***

Hey…did you like?  Then review me and let me know what you thought of it…I really want to know…


	5. The Learning Begins

Chapter #5 - The Learning Begins  
  
The first day of classes was great in both Tom and Lena's opinion because Herbology was their first class and that meant they would see each other because Slytherin and Ravenclaw had that class together. They only had their introductory class in one of the greenhouses with Professor Madril, that day, but Tom got the chance to introduce Lena to Crinis, who had said at breakfast that he wanted to meet her after he had seen her smile at Tom.  
  
"I'm glad that Tom's getting along with you all. I was afraid that the rest of you might give him the cold shoulder since he's a halfblood," she said once they were introduced.  
  
"Well," Crinis said, chuckling slightly, "I did give him a bloody nose."  
  
"What?" Lena looked at Tom. "He didn't?"  
  
"He did." He hit his own nose where Crinis had hit him the night before. "But he apologized after I explained about my mum."  
  
"I am sorry about that, Tom."  
  
"You've already been forgiven," he said with a smile.  
  
Lena looked between them, utterly bewildered, then shook her head. She was thinking of something to say to them when she heard some of the Slytherin girls sniggering. She glared at them, seeing them looking at her. Whatever it was, she did not like it. But she had no more time to think about them and their thoughts because Professor Madril started her introduction.  
  
After Herbology was over, Tom, Lena, Crinis, and Darcy walked back to the castle together. They had found out that Lena and Darcy knew each other from when they were younger but had not seen each other in several years. They then began talking about their schedules. Lena had History of Magic next while the boys had Charms. Crinis mentioned that Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, was a ghost. Both Lena and Tom looked surprised by this bit of news.  
  
"My dad said that Binns fell asleep one day and woke up as a ghost and just kept going to class like that. One of his uncles had Binns the first time he did that and the entire class ran out in terror." Crinis smiled at Lena. "He's *horribly* boring, my dad said."  
  
"I like history, though."  
  
"You won't after this," Crinis said, sounding very serious.  
  
"Watch me," she said, raising her head proudly, heading off to go to the class.  
  
While that day wore on, the Slytherins had their own classes. It took them a while to find the rooms since they were new to the castle, but the professors seemed understanding since they were, after all, new to the school. They knew that the students had to get used to getting to their classes, and that often took a week or two, especially since the daily schedules changed often. They only had two other classes that day, Charms and double Potions.  
  
Charms was full of some of the most useful things you could imagine and Professor Mercer was a very energetic teacher, which made the class really enjoy it. It was really just the basics for the first years, but the thought of learning some of the spells in the book was enough to get the students through the lessons on holding their wands and the basics of directing their magic, even though they had also gone over that in Transfiguration.  
  
Potions was with Professor Corris. It was rather enjoyable. Standing over brewing cauldrons of liquids that varied in color from white to blue to green was a great experience. Such a subtle type of magic, but very effective. It quickly became to be one of Tom's favorite classes, even if it was with the Gryffindors, which Tom found out had a long standing rivalry with Slytherin that went all the way back to the school's founding.  
  
That night, Lena leaned between Tom and Crinis at the Slytherin table, smiling. "You know, I quite enjoyed History of Magic. Sure, Binns is boring and he drags on and on in a monotone voice, but I rather enjoyed the class. As much as I'm a bookworm, it's a great class for me."  
  
"Oh, great," Tom said, burying his face in his hands.  
  
"Hope the two of you have fun Monday morning. Didn't you say you have him right after breakfast?"  
  
"I'll fall asleep. I swear I will," Crinis said, playing with his fork.  
  
"Well, have a good nap then," Lena said before she went over to her table and sat down with the rest of the girls from her year.  
  
"If what she said's true, it'll be so boring in there..."  
  
"I know, Tom."  
  
"We'll just have to get help from her," the black haired boy said with a smile, looking over at her.  
  
But the weekend was starting now and the students had time to go exploring the castle and grounds good for the first time. Tom and the rest of the Slytherin boys in his year went exploring the castle on Saturday, finding the library, the rest of their classes, and several interesting things in the dungeons (including the fact that the dirt there was blue). On Sunday, they went around the grounds, watching the lake for the giant squid that lived there, and talking about trying to sneak into the Forbidden Forest.  
  
Also over the weekend, the little group of Slytherins ran into several of the ghosts that haunted the school, ones that were much more interesting than they had heard Binns was. There was their own house ghost, the Bloody Baron, who made an appearance on Saturday evening, scaring the first years with his bloody clothing. Earlier they had seen the Ravenclaw spirit, the Grey Lady, wandering through the library with a book. On Sunday, they saw a few other resident ghosts, some of whom they had actually seen at the Start of Term Feast. Tom had not noticed them since he was not feeling very happy then, but he most certainly took notice now, especially when Peeves the Poltergeist nearly knocked a suit of armour onto them as they came up the stairs. But soon their somewhat exciting weekend was over and classes resumed, to most of the students' great displeasure.  
  
History of Magic was indeed boring. Binns immediately broke into his dry lecturing, talking about magic in ancient Egypt, where the oldest school of magic had been founded. Though they tried to take notes, as unexciting as the ghostly professor was, it was hard not to be lulled to sleep.  
  
The next class, however, made the entire class wake up: Defense against the Dark Arts. It was taught by the head of Ravenclaw House, Professor de Nuit, a thin, redheaded, middle aged woman with a sweet voice and pleasant personality. Tom was personally interested in the Dark Arts and he was more than attentive to the professor, hanging on her every word, even if she was only going over the general outline of what they were going to study. They were to learn about dark creatures and how to protect themselves against curses - which meant they would be learning the curses too.  
  
Then there was Transfiguration with Professor Viciss, a somewhat plump graying man. He was rather strict and took off points if even the slightest thing was wrong, which was a hard thing to do for the inexperienced first years. It was, by far, the least favorite of Tom's classes, but he was still good at it.  
  
Astronomy was held that night at midnight with their own head of house, Professor Sidus. They learned about the constellations and the planets and were to learn how to use them in timing for potions, amongst other things. He was quite passionate about the subject and marveled the students with his stories about the great nebulas he had seen.  
  
There was also their first of several flying lessons with Madam Trisk. Tom was not too efficient at flying but did well nonetheless. He was glad, though, that he was not the only one, even in his house, that had trouble with flying. Rex seemed to be rather scared of heights and refused to go higher than ten feet or so from the ground.  
  
And as Tom grew used to living at the castle...grew used to having friends, he began to realized just how horrible his life at the orphanage had been. The more he ran over the comparisons between them, the more he began to hate where he had grown up. Yet, no matter how much he thought of hating the orphanage, his hatred for his father seemed to always enter his mind. His father was the reason that he had not grown up with the knowledge of who and what he was. His Muggle father, to him, was far worse than the people at the orphanage. Oh, how he wished he could make his father pay.  
  
Soon the first month of school was over with and autumn was suddenly upon Hogwarts. The days were getting a lot shorter and the weather was turning colder and rainier. There was also a lot of buzz about something called "Quidditch." When Tom asked what this was, the boys all gasped, having forgotten that Muggles did not know what the sport was so they took Tom to see a practice of for the Slytherin team. Tom was instantly in love with the game, his jaw dropped as they all soared by on their brooms. There was truly nothing like it in all the Muggle world.  
  
Halloween was just around the corner, now, and so was the first Quidditch match, which Tom was really looking forward to now that he knew what it was. The thought of the Halloween Feast was filling everyone with anticipation. There was not telling what that day might bring. That day, according to some, was the day that some of the greatest things happened.  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Sabrina Black Snapeish - be sure to keep Narcissa in the closet with that mirror while you cuddle with Luscious Lucius...^_~...thanks again for the help with Tom...hope you'll continue to enjoy my story...  
  
Liv - I would agree that Tom right now is not all that evil...just, as you said, lost...but he adjusts rather quickly...*needs to add more "Slytherin" persona to him* *looks at Draco's personality and smirks*...oh...and, please, no cuddling the young dark lord...he's mine...*snuggles with Tom*  
  
Morgan - hmm...that's the last name of a charater for my fanfic (though she doesn't show up till *much* later)...I'm very glad that you like it so far...and the reason you didn't get the first review is because Miss Aubrey Lee Briar wanted the first one...but I'm still glad you did review...  
  
Aubrey Lee Briar - MWA! :D right back at you...  
  
***  
  
Yeah! More reviews, please! ^_^ Thank you all so much for the reviews that I've gotten so far...if I get just as many this week, I'll put up a chapter on Wednesday...I would have done that this past Wednesday, but, well, this chapter needed a lot of revision... 


	6. Ancestors

Chapter #6 - Ancestors  
  
It was a rather nice afternoon the day of Halloween. Tom decided to take his lunch outside and enjoy the possible last bit of nice weather until spring. Once he was finished, he pulled his Transfiguration book from his leather sachel and began to look over the method of turning a leaf into a piece of paper.  
  
Not long before the end of the lunch period Lena walked up to him. She smiled when he looked up at her from his book. "You're a descendant of Salazar Slytherin."  
  
Tom was utterly bewildered. "Huh?"  
  
"I've been looking in the library for some information on your family. I found some things on your mother and then followed a lead I had and found information on her parents and then I found *her* grandparents. It seems your great-grandfather's mother's last name was Slytherin. I then searched for relatives of yours that might still be alive, but, I'm sorry to say, all of them have already passed away."  
  
"So I'm still all alone," he said, going back to his book, wondering why she had come to tell him this.  
  
The girl dropped to her knees in front of him, leaning towards him, an extremely caring and gentle look on her face. "You have me, Tom."  
  
With wide eyes, he looked at her. "You mean that?"  
  
"Of course." She smiled. "You need *someone*, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Then I'm that someone."  
  
Tom chuckled slightly then frowned, looking at the ground. "But you aren't in Slytherin with me."  
  
"So I'm a *huge* bookworm, I can't help it." She was still smiling. "I'm still here for you if you need me."  
  
"I'll remember that."  
  
"Would you like to join me in the library before the feast tonight and see what this bookworm has found?"  
  
"Why not. I think I'd like to learn more about my family."  
  
Lena smiled, getting an idea when he said that. She would have to talk to her dad and see what he thought. "I'll see you there then."  
  
While the rest of the day passed by, Tom thought about what Lena had said. He was an heir of Slytherin. He was apparently the last one too. What did this mean? He now knew, at least, why the Sorting Hat had placed him in Slytherin. He knew what had been so interesting about him. The Hat must have seen it in him without him even knowing it. Of course, he had come to find out that he had most of the traits that Slytherin himself had prized, especially his hatred of Muggles.  
  
After their last classes, Tom met Lena in the library and she showed him a section of the library that had lists of all the past students. She pointed out Dana Raghnall on the list for the students that began at Hogwarts exactly nineteen years previous, which listed her house as Slytherin and said that she had been a prefect. Lena then showed him another list that listed who her guests had been at her graduation: Marvolo and Electra Raghnall.  
  
"I knew that her father's name was Marvolo, that's my middle name."  
  
Lena nodded, remembering that he had said that. "Well, looking a bit harder, I found your grandmother's maiden name: Brimms, as well as lists that had her some of her family members listed. Most of her family was in Slytherin, if they attended here, but several went to Durmstrang, it's noted here."  
  
"Durmstrang?"  
  
"A school of magic that was founded in the Germanic countries. They only allow in purebloods. There is the occasional halfblood, but not many. That school seems to have a reputation for creating Dark Wizards." She pulled out another long list as she talked. "But it was this one that sparked my interest."  
  
Tom looked at the name she was pointing at and saw that his great- grandfather's name was listed: Jovan Raghnall. Under it were *his* parents' names: Taylor Raghnall and Kyla Slytherin Raghnall. He looked up at Lena, his eyes wide. Though he had trusted her when she told him, he was still surprised to see it himself.  
  
"How long did it take you to find all of this?"  
  
"Since we've gotten to school," she said, as though it were nothing.  
  
"You spent *two months* looking for information on *my* family? Why?"  
  
"It took me a little longer than I thought. I wanted to do it to help you find out more about yourself."  
  
"You shouldn't have."  
  
"Well, I did."  
  
A big smile came to Tom's face. No one at the orphanage would have *ever* done something like that for him. He really did have people that cared for him here. "Thanks...a lot."  
  
"You need to know about your family. It isn't right for you to know nothing about your parents. I wanted to help you find out where you came from. And I at least found out about your mother's family. Though I cannot help you find your father, I don't know if you would want to find him, knowing that he left your mother when he found out she was a witch."  
  
Tom scowled, thinking of his hateful father. "He'd probably say that I wasn't his son anyway."  
  
"Which I think would be wrong of him to do. Leaving your mum was wrong in the first place." Lena pulled out a pocket watch from within her robes. "The feast is going to start soon and I need to go put my books in my dormitory. I'll see you downstairs in a few minutes."  
  
As Lena left the library, Tom looked back at all the information she had found for him. This was the part of him that accepted him...his magical heritage. He belonged here at Hogwarts, not out there with the Muggles that all hated him, and that he hated in return. This was what he really was. And he was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, a member of countless pureblood families. Yet, he was all that was left. He was the final member of many of those families it seemed...and his mother had had to fall for a Muggle who left her without a second thought most likely.  
  
Tom growled slightly, though it seemed to have been more like a hiss than anything. How he wished he could make his father pay, just as he wanted to make the old women at the orphanage pay along with the rest of the Muggles there. They understood *nothing*. Muggles did not want to accept that there existed something stronger than them and their science.  
  
Being in Slytherin, he was beginning to understand more and more about why Muggles should not be allowed in the school, which the rest of his friends had told him was what Slytherin himself believed. Muggles were scared of magic, and always had been. It was beyond them and more powerful then they were. If only he could show them how to *really* fear magic.  
  
As he left he library, that thought remained with him. If he did not already know that he would not be able to do magic over the holidays, it would be so much fun to torture the other children in Great Hangleton. He would, though, eventually make them all suffer. And he hoped it would be soon.  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Sabrina Black Snapeish - tell Luscious Lucius and Sensuous Snape that they're rather amusing...don't worry...Tom's starting to embrace his darker side now...if you noticed...  
  
Liv - um...honey...he's mine...all mine...you can't have him...*gets glare from master* *sweatdrops*...okay...I keep forgetting that I belong to him and not the other way around...glad you still like...  
  
shitsumon - yes, really, fifty chapters...this is all seven years of Tom at Hoggy-Warties...you know that I've read your story...as I said, I really like...  
  
Sida - glad you liked...and thanks for adding me to your favorites...^_^  
  
***  
  
Alright...I'll get the next chapter up on Friday or Saturday...thanks so much for the reviews people...remember...the more reviews I get, the more often I'll update...four reviews = twice a week and every two more after that is one more chapter a week...I already have enough chapters to do this with...so click the button and let me know what you think... 


	7. The Present

A/N: Just as a side note…though I know many of you will be quite disappointed…I do not do Quidditch matches…Tom is not a Quidditch player and it is not central to the story like it is with Harry, plus I can't write Quidditch…I'll leave it all up to Jo and those fanfic authors that *can* write it…so I apologize for not having at least one match, as I know many of you, including me, love reading Quidditch matches…

Well, on with the story…

Chapter #7 – The Present

The first two matches of the Quidditch season were played the two weekends after Halloween:  Gryffindor versus Slytherin was first, as was tradition, then Hufflepuff played Ravenclaw.  Both go the games were fast paced and exciting, with lots of boasting from the Hufflepuff commentator about the new brooms some of the players were riding: the Comet 180, which had just been put on sale that past summer.  The only bad thing was that both games were played in rainy weather.  Luckily it was not as bad as it could have been for the players and spectators.  But even with the rain, Tom loved both games.  His favorite part, most especially, was when Slytherin had beaten Gryffindor by fifty points, but that had had to do with the "playing dirty" that the Slytherins used.

Tom thought Quidditch was, as everyone else said, the greatest game in the world.  He would love to get a broom and join the team, but he seriously doubted he would be as good as the ones that were on the pitch.  He would settle for getting the broom before he came back the next school year, since first years were not allowed to have brooms.

Soon winter started, and it laid a thick layer of snow on the ground to prove it.  A list went around to all the students in the school, asking who was staying and going over the break.  Tom put down that he was, of course, staying.  He was going to stay away from the orphanage as much as possible.  He was glad to hear that Lena was staying as well, as were Crinis and Nathan (whose parents were out of the country).  He did not want to have to be alone over the holiday.

It seemed strange once the break had begun, though, with fewer people at the school.  Only about a fourth of the students stayed, but, in a way, it was far better.  The halls were not crowded and the Great Hall was quieter.  The castle was decorated with holly and mistletoe, which was a problem since students kept kissing in the halls.  The Great Hall had a dozen trees in it, each decorated beautifully.  Four of the trees were decorated each with one of the school's houses' colors while the rest were decorated with magical symbols and animals.  There were even a few fairy lights around the school here and there that had real, shining fairies in them.

It did not seem long at all before it was Christmas Eve.  Crinis and Nathan were talking about what they expected to get from their parents, which made Tom feel very left out since he knew there was no one that would be sending him presents.  His friends assured him, though, that "Father Christmas" would be sure to leave him something.  Tom laughed slightly, but was grateful to have friends finally.  That was, of course, the greatest gift he could have…well, next to being away from the orphanage.

When Tom woke Christmas morning, it was to Crinis shouting "Presents!"  Tom rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at the foot of his bed and smiled.  There was a pile of presents sitting there, or at least it was a pile in Tom's opinion.  He looked at them, seeing there were half a dozen presents.  Each seemed to be begging to be opened first.

Tom grabbed the top present, seeing his name written with Lena's script.  He tore into it and found a book.  He should have expected nothing less from a Ravenclaw.  But this was not a book on spells or potions, it was a book on the history of the Slytherin family.  He just stared at it, running his hand over the book's cover.

"Thanks, Lena," he said quietly.

After he set the book aside, he went to the next present, which turned out to be from Crinis.  It was a book on Quidditch, which Tom had been more interested in finding out about the more he had watched it.  He told roommate "thanks" and apologized for not getting him one, which his friend told him not to worry about.

The next present he picked up was from his head of house, Professor Sidus.  He opened it and found a lovely set of stationary with moons and stars decorating each dark blue page.  There was also a bottle of silver ink with a black quill.  Professor Sidus always gave his students the same set each year for Christmas, he had heard, but most of the students thought it was great and loved getting it each year.  It was rumored that the ink held actual stardust, but the Astronomy professor never said whether it was true or not.

He also got a present from Darcy, which turned out to be another picture of his mother that, as a note that had accompanied it said, he had found while he was going through his dad's old pictures.  He smiled at the moving picture, which smiled back at him before he set it aside.  From Rex he got a mother of pearl encrusted lacquered chess board that was folded in half on hinges.  Inside was hidden all the pieces.  Though it was a beautiful present, it puzzled him somewhat why he would have gotten it since he had no idea how to play chess.  His last present was from Nathan, who got him a package full of candy, which he would have thanked his friend for if he had been awake.

"Hey, Lestrange!"  Crinis walked over to the sleeping form.  He picked up a present that did not seem too heavy or sharp and tossed it at him.  "Get up!"

Nathan looked up at his "attacker" and groaned.  "It's Christmas.  My family always has a lie-in on Christmas."

"Then you'll miss breakfast."  He turned to Tom with a smile as Nathan fell back to his pillow.  "Shall we go?"

"Sure."

Crinis walked over to look at all the presents Tom had.  His eyes did not focus on the genealogy book, but rather a different present.   "You got a wizards' chess board?"

"Yeah, but I don't know how to play."

"You don't?  I'm sure one of us can teach you."

"Thanks."

The two of them got dressed and headed to breakfast.  Tom looked for Lena when he got in but she was not there, though most of the other Ravenclaws that had stayed over break were.  While they ate breakfast, Tom continued to look for Lena to come in but she never did.  When Crinis was finished, Tom reluctantly got up and left too.  He guessed that Lena was too busy with her own presents to have come to breakfast, or had come and left before he had gotten there.  He would have to find her later.  Perhaps she would be at afternoon tea.

When they got back to their dormitory, they saw that Nathan was just opening his presents.  Crinis went over to watch him opening them and talk to him while Tom got the book Lena had given him and headed out to the quiet common room to start reading it.  He sat in front of the fire, facing it, leaning against one of the green couches' sides.

Tom had not expected to really do anything more than flip through it and examine the genealogy thoroughly, but once he started reading Salazar's own history, he was absorbed in it and kept reading it into the afternoon.  He learned of how his ancestor had met the other three founders, of the students he had allowed in his house and their qualities, and his own interests (such as that he was very into the dark arts and taught both the astronomy classes and the early version of care of magical creatures).  Then it explained his desire to "purify" the school so that only pureblood students would be allowed, even to the point of not allowing halfbloods to attend.  There was also the mention of a tryst that had occurred between Salazar and Rowena that had never been confirmed, which though it was just a brief mention, it interested Tom nonetheless.  Then Tom got to the part that spoke of why his ancestor left the school, the fights he had with the other founders, and one other thing, which Tom read *very* carefully:

_"It is believed that not long after the rift formed between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Salazar created a hidden chamber deep within the castle.  It has been said that only his heirs would be able to enter it and control the monster within."_  A monster?  Tom paused, thinking.  Then went back to the book.  _"This monster is supposed to be able to kill witches and wizards that are of Muggle descent only, but how this would be accomplished is unknown._

_"It is not known if Slytherin ever told any of his children or grandchildren where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, as it came to be called, was since none of them tried to carry out the plans that he had started but was never able to finish.  The rumors said that one of his heirs, his *_true*_ heir, would come to open the Chamber and let loose the monster to carry out his work, though that has not happened in nearly the thousand years since.  This story is thought to be just a legend that was started to frighten the other founders.  Nothing has been found after many searches of the castle."_

That was it!  Tom stopped reading, grinning broadly.  He closed the book and hurried from the common room, taking the book with him.  He had to go find Lena, and he had a feeling he knew where she would be.  He needed her help with something…something that only a Ravenclaw would be best at.

***

To my reviewers –

Liv – Nooo…Tom is mine…*all* mine…if you want any part of him, show me that dark mark on your arm…:-P…don't worry…I've got plenty of this story already written and it'll all get posted soon enough…I'm very glad you still like my story…especially that you think it's entertaining…

Sabrina Black Snapeish – if you didn't grope her husband, you might not have a problem with Narcissa…I'm glad you could see the little twinge of evilness in my Tom…*hugs the evil Tom*…I love him that way…glad you agree with me about Luscious and Sensuous…^_~

***

Alright...I'll get the next chapter up on Friday or Saturday...thanks so much for the reviews people...remember...the more reviews I get, the more often I'll update...four reviews = twice a week and every two more after that is one more chapter a week...I already have enough chapters to do this with...so click the button and let me know what you think...


	8. One Fateful Decision

Chapter #8 - One Fateful Decision  
  
As Tom headed down to the library to find his bookworm friend, he thought about what he had read. His ancestor had created a secret chamber within the school. Within this chamber was a creature that could kill the Muggle- born students. He grinned. This was the way to start his revenge on the Muggles he hated so much. Perhaps he could even take this creature to Great Hangleton to kill the old bats at the orphanage and the children there that had teased him all his life. And then, of course, his father too. His grin turned slightly evil at that thought.  
  
Though in some part of his mind he thought this was a bit of an extreme measure to be taking, knowing not all Muggles were the same, the fact remained that Muggles had no right to have entry into their world, and Mudbloods should not be admitted to Hogwarts. He had already read in his youth of the Witch Hunts during the Middle Ages, of entire villages being emptied of women who had been good Christians just because of others that were jealous of them or wanted their lands. Muggles feared magic and witchcraft, saying it was Satan's work, even though it was not. He would show them how to fear...he would give them a "Satan."  
  
When he walked in the library, he immediately saw Lena sitting by herself with several books around her. She was undoubtedly working on her paper for Professor Binns, which he *still* needed to get a start on. He groaned slightly, thinking over the assignment. He walked towards her, stopping on the opposite side of the table. She looked up when he got there, apparently surprised to see him.  
  
"Hey, Tom," she said. She smiled when she saw the book in his hand. That was why he had come, no doubt.  
  
"Thanks for the present. I'm sorry I didn't get..."  
  
"Don't worry. I understand."  
  
"Where'd you find the book at, anyway?"  
  
"Well, you had mentioned you would like to know about your family and, so, I asked my dad to look for anything on the history of the Slytherin family for me, so you could find out more about your family. I think he bought it off an old friend. When I got the book, I looked through it and saw that it had a genealogy in it for the Slytherin family from Salazar himself up until the mid-1700's or so when the book was compiled."  
  
Tom smiled, sitting down next to her, pushing away one of the library books so he could set his book in front of him.  
  
"I hope you like it."  
  
"Oh, I do. I started reading it and almost couldn't stop."  
  
Lena smiled at him, interested in the *exact* reason why he had come to see her. She was sure that it was for something more than to just thank her for getting him the book.  
  
"But there's a few things in here that really interested me, and I wanted to ask you about them since you *do* still know more about the wizarding world than I do." He opened the book she had given him to the page he had stopped on, pointing to a certain section. "See here?"  
  
Lena was puzzled for a moment, wondering why he had not asked one of his roommates to answer his question. She ignored it, though, and looked at the section he was pointing to - the part that mentioned the rift that formed between Slytherin and the other founders. She then read further down to where it told of the creation of the Chamber of Secrets and the monster that was in it. She already knew about Salazar Slytherin's desire to "purify" the school and knew the real history behind the arguments and Slytherin's leaving the school, which was presented pretty well in this book...but she knew the chamber *had* to be just a story.  
  
"The Chamber of Secrets?" Lena looked at Tom, unsure if that was what he meant or not. She saw him nod. At least she had guessed right about what he was thinking. "I've heard stories of it, but it's just a legend."  
  
"But legends are often based in fact."  
  
Lena thought for a minute, understanding what he meant. He had a point there. Legends had been proven true in other cases. "Something like that would not be in Hogwarts: A History, of course. It's too dangerous of information. When I read it I don't even remember seeing anything about the Chamber of Secrets in there. There might be something in one of the books in the restricted section, but you can't get any of those books out without a teacher's permission."  
  
"Well, I am going to find the Chamber, no matter what."  
  
"And do *what*? Kill the Mudbloods at the school?" Her voice was very low so she would not be heard by any of the other students in the library, and especially not Madam Beech, the librarian. "Are you forgetting that you, yourself, have a *Muggle* father?"  
  
"My father abandoned my mother when he found out she was a witch, not caring that she was pregnant with a child...*me*." His voice was even quieter than Lena's. "I hate him for that. Why should I care anything about Muggles? All the Muggles I have ever known have treated me like dirt. Why should I have anything more than hatred for those that have cared nothing for me, for those that are too stupid to see that magic exists or to even acknowledge it *may* exist? I have the blood of Salazar Slytherin in me, and that part of me is the only thing that accepts me for who and what I am. I intend to find a way to exact my revenge on *all* those that are filth, especially the ones that have done me wrong. Mudbloods do not belong here, just as I do not belong among those Muggles at the orphanage. And I will be sure that my ancestor's plans are carried out, one way or another."  
  
Lena shook her head. Yes, he certainly *had* become a Slytherin. "Oh, Tom."  
  
He cringed slightly. "I *hate* that name. It was my father's name. Why my mother gave me his horrid..."  
  
"Then create a new name for yourself," she said offhandedly.  
  
Tom looked at Lena with a smile. "Yes...that's a good idea."  
  
A silent moment followed as Tom thought and Lena waited for him to say something. When he did not speak, Lena decided to restart their discussion. "You do know that it is entirely possible, though, that whatever is in this Chamber of Secrets, might be dead? It *was* nearly a thousand years ago after all."  
  
"Yes, I know that."  
  
Lena nodded, glad he had thought of this. "So...how do you plan to go about finding where the Chamber of Secrets is?"  
  
For a moment longer he was silent as he thought, then remembered what Lena had mentioned earlier. He looked over behind the librarian's desk, where the Restricted Section was. "Get into the Restricted Section."  
  
"We have to *know* what book we want and then get a teacher's permission to get it out."  
  
"Ask Professor de Nuit if there's a way you could get a browsing pass to go in and look for a book we want because we don't know the title."  
  
"Why her? Why me?!"  
  
"She's head of your house. She might like you a bit more than she would me. And you're a Ravenclaw. Study is one of the biggest traits of your house. She might understand it more coming from you."  
  
Lena wanted to shake her head in slight disbelief of his having thought it all through that much, but she nodded instead. "I'll ask her when I see her next, then."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"I don't know if you'd be able to go in there with me, though." She smiled slyly. "She'd make the pass just for me, I'm sure."  
  
"Then we'll ask her together. Tell her it's for research on something or other that we've been talking about and can't find any books on it in the rest of the library."  
  
"Okay." She sighed, looking at her essay, which was nearly done, then pulled out her pocket watch. "Oh, it's time for tea."  
  
Tom was a bit surprised it was that late. He must have spent more time reading than he thought he had. "Already?"  
  
"Yes." She began gathering her scrolls together. "Would you like to join me?"  
  
"Sure, why not."  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Sabrina Black Snapeish - you seem to have a lot going on over there...untie Sevvie or I think you might get his little "Bonbon" mad...  
  
Liv - thanks for saying he's getting more evil...*hugs master*...I'm proud of my evil little man...*pinches his cheek*...and he only got six presents because he doesn't have that many friends yet...*makes a note for something later in the story*...  
  
Le Bonbon de Sensuous Severus - his little bonbon huh? If you say so, Chelsea...*shakes head at your constant name changing*...you can have Sevvie, Hon, I don't need the little traitor...well, except to kill him...*evil grin*...  
  
***  
  
Oy!!! Please, peoples...I'd really like to know what ya'll think...please...*looks cute*...so gives me a review and I'll gives you a huggle...^_^ 


	9. Browsing Permission

Chapter #9 - Browsing Permission  
  
Tom and Lena kept their eyes out for Professor de Nuit for the next few days, but it seemed like she was nowhere in the castle. When Lena asked one of the other professors about it, she learned that her head of house had gone home for Christmas to see her family but that she would be back right after New Year's Day. While they waited, they finished their homework they had been assigned over the holiday and, once that was done, Lena taught Tom how to play Wizard Chess, since she was the best player out of his friends who had stayed, though it still took him a while to get the hang of playing. They had also formulated what they were going to tell her was the reason they wanted permission to go into the Restricted Section as they sat across the chess board from each other. In a way they had decided that a half-truth would do the trick.  
  
Their spending so much time together, especially at the Slytherin table, got many sniggers from the other Slytherins, particularly the girls. It seemed that the Slytherins did not only have tension between their house and Gryffindor, but also a bit with the Ravenclaw too. Tom also knew that it had something to do with the fact that he was really a halfblood and she was a pureblood, which would have gotten sniggers if it had been *any* girl. But Tom knew that most of the Slytherin girls did not want anything to do with him, except to tease his. But he also knew that even if they *did* like him, they would never be as helpful to him as he knew Lena would be.  
  
It was after dinner, two nights after the start of the new year, when Professor de Nuit came into the Great Hall and walked to the Teacher's Table where there were still a few professors sitting and talking. She went up to the headmaster and said a few things to him then turned and left the Great Hall, without being stopped by Tom and Lena. They had decided to not ask her as soon as she got back so she would not think they were specifically targeting her for permission to get into the Restricted Section.  
  
"Well, she's back," Tom said, watching the red-headed teacher leave the Great Hall.  
  
"We can ask her in a few days." Lena looked back to the board and examined it, deciding what her move would be since it was her turn. "Queen to E7."  
  
The piece moved and took out the Knight, which had been two moves away from a "check." She looked up at Tom, knowing he was running low on options. He looked over the board and saw his bishop in the right position to take out the rook, which would give him the perfect attack.  
  
"Bishop to C2." The bishop moved and took the castle. "Check."  
  
"I see that." She knew she had no pieces that could defend her king now, she had not even seen that possible attack, of course the bishops always seemed to be the pieces she lost to when she *did* lose. She knocked over her king with a sigh. "I have no move to counter your check. It's actually checkmate."  
  
Tom smiled at his victory, one of his few over the past week. He pulled out his wand and said the spell Lena had taught him to repair his pieces then put all the porcelain pieces in their special spots on the underside of the board and folded it in half on its hinges. He then looked up at Lena who had her chin propped up on her hands. He thought she looked rather cute that way.  
  
"You've gotten good."  
  
"I know, but we've been playing several games everyday for about a week."  
  
"You've still gotten good in that little of time."  
  
"I had a good teacher," he said with a smile.  
  
"Well, I'll be off to the library to get that book we were talking about."  
  
"Okay. I'll see you at breakfast?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
"And we planned to ask de Nuit, what was it, two days after she got back?"  
  
"Yes." She stood from where she had been sitting at the Slytherin table. "Have a good night, Tom."  
  
"You too."  
  
***  
  
Over the next two days, they went about setting up the final stage of their plan. When the time finally came, they were talking over breakfast at the Slytherin table when Professor de Nuit actually came up to them. They were somewhat surprised by her approaching them but knew it was a lot better than going up to her. This was it!  
  
"I have not seen two students so utterly absorbed in a debate or discussion, whichever it might be, in quite some time." She smiled at them, though she was looking more at her own student. "What is it that you two are talking about?"  
  
"We've been trying to find out all we can about the founders and their history and what they did and everything," Tom began.  
  
"But we're having trouble filling in some holes that we've discovered," Lena continued.  
  
"We've been fighting over some of the things that we have found because they're conflicting histories."  
  
"Ah, I see. Well, that was so long ago and they didn't keep as good of records back then as we do now."  
  
"Yes, so we've discovered," Lena said, looking down.  
  
"Have you checked the library thoroughly?"  
  
"We've looked in nearly every section." Tom was hoping to use a pity plea on her. "But we've hardly found anything even though we've looked really hard."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Um, Professor," Lena seemed was acting like the idea suddenly struck her, "is there anyway we could go into the Restricted Section to look for more information?"  
  
"You need to know what book you're after, browsing..."  
  
"But other students have been back there," Tom blurted out.  
  
"Typically," she continued, "browsing permission isn't given to anyone who isn't at least a fifth year, and even then usually only prefects are granted permission."  
  
"Please, Professor. We're really interested in finding out. It seems the only alternative we have left." Tom gave a desperate look. "We promise to follow any rules that Madam Beech has if you say we can."  
  
Professor de Nuit looked at them for a moment, wondering if they might be up to something, but she felt it could not hurt to at least go ask the librarian if it was alright with her. She really did not want to stand in the way of learning, though. It just was *not* in her nature. "Let's go discuss this with Madam Beech and then the two of us will decide if it's alright."  
  
Tom and Lena smiled as they followed the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher to the library. Madam Beech knew they had been looking for things that dealt with the founders already and she also seemed to like the two of them some, but that might be just because Tom seemed to have the ability to charm her to get her to help them. This might just work out for them.  
  
"Laurel," the professor said to the librarian, "I have a question to ask you."  
  
"Go ahead, Aradia," Madam Beech said, looking up at the three of them.  
  
"These two students are researching the founders and they want permission to go browse the Restricted Section since the regular library doesn't seem to have any good sources."  
  
The librarian looked at the two students, remembering them quite well since they had asked her for help a few times. "I see. You *have* explained to them that first years aren't allowed to browse, correct?"  
  
"Yes, I have, though, the search for knowledge should not be hampered by their year in school. Is there anyway we could go around the rule and allow them access?"  
  
Madam Beech pursed her lips in thought, gazing up at the ceiling. After a moment, she looked back at them. "I believe that they could be allowed to browse, *if* they promise *not* to take any books from the Restricted Section *and* if they *only* use it on the weekends."  
  
"I do think that that sounds reasonable." Professor de Nuit looked at the two first years. "Well, what do you two think?"  
  
"I think it's reasonable as well," Lena said, looking at Tom for his opinion.  
  
"So do I."  
  
"Very well." The Defense against the Dark Arts professor smiled at them then turned to the librarian. "Will they still need a written permission note?"  
  
"No, these two are very memorable. I think I'll remember that I agreed to let them do some browsing."  
  
"May we start now, since it *is* still a holiday," Tom asked.  
  
"I don't see why not, Mr. Riddle." Madam Beech smiled. "Go right ahead. But remember, you need to ask me to get down any of the books you want to look at since they require spells to open, one of our safeguards against anyone stealing them."  
  
"Yes, Madam Beech."  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
All reviewers - *huggles*  
  
Liv - I always try really hard to make my stories flow naturally...if they don't seem like something I could actually see happening in real life (the conversations, the poses, the actions, etc.), then I change it...and the progression of Tom's evilness is as I would see it if it were actually happening...I'm glad you still think he's getting eviler...that means a lot to me...it really does...  
  
Sabrina Black Snapeish - sorry nothing really happened...there's not much that's going to really be happening for a while...at least...I don't think there's anything of *major* importance happening in the next chapter or two...well...*thinks*...except that...*grins evilly*...oh...and be nice to Sevvie...  
  
Lady Lestrange - so...are you *the* Lady Lestrange? You know, the one mentioned in the fourth book? If so, what first name do you go by? Anyway...I'm glad you're enjoying it...and don't worry...the Lestranges will get their Dark Marks soon...well, maybe not *that* soon...*counts how many chapters till then* *nods*...yeah...it'll be a while...oh...and you have great stories...though I'll have to wait till I have more time to read your longer stories...  
  
Le Bonbon de Sensuous Severus - you only get a huggle so...*huggle*...and there's a good reason that your e-mail is EMPTY...I've got writer's block...so :-P...and as far ahead as you've read, I think you can wait a little longer...if you can't, well tough! You're not getting them any sooner by whining...thanks for getting Rivan to read my story BTW...  
  
RivanKnight - I think I'm going to have a fight over Sevvie in my reviews if this keeps up...^_^...but I'm glad you like the story thus far...and don't worry, you'll get more...I promise...  
  
***  
  
*Dances around*...I love reviews...I love reviews...*giggles insanely*... 


	10. The End of Their First Year

Chapter #10 - The End of Their First Year  
  
The rest of their school year seemed to fly by. Tom and Lena got busy searching for information on founders but during the week when they had time, they searched the rest of the library for anything on Salazar or the Chamber of Secrets. It did not take them long, though, to find everything they could on the founders as a whole so they decided to start looking for information more specifically about Salazar. Madam Beech questioned them about why it was taking them so long but Tom explained to her that they had become interested in a new topic and asked if they could keep looking. She agreed with hardly a second thought, since they had been so good about following her rules she had given them.  
  
The Quidditch season ended with four games played between the middle of April and the end of June. Seeing Quidditch nearly every weekend was a great relief from having to worry about their final exams, which the older students were telling the first years were extremely hard. Slytherin and Ravenclaw won all their games and were keeping up with each other in points. In the end, though, it was only by ten points that Slytherin had beaten Ravenclaw for the Quidditch Cup win. The Slytherin keeper, Kyrie Snape, had kept the Hufflepuffs from making any goals in their last game, which, in addition to the Slytherins' natural ambition and usually unseemly tactics, made it easy for them to secure the victory.  
  
With the end of the year upon them, everyone was studying for finals. The first years all quickly realized that the older students had been teasing when they were saying the finals were nearly impossible to pass. While the first years in all the houses actually did quite well, there ended up being a major complication in a third year Transfiguration class where one of the students with a faulty wand ended up not turning his pencil into a bonsai but causing Professor Vicuss to have vines sprout out of his ears, which caused their teacher to stalk out of the class and go straight to the headmaster and resign, saying he had had enough of incompetent students. Professor Dippet then finished giving the final three Transfiguration exams, which did not seem to do him any good since he already seemed frail.  
  
With finals over, the last few days were free and Tom and Lena had gotten permission to use the Restricted Section before they went home. They had found much information on Salazar but nothing that would really lead them on to finding out where the Chamber was or what was contained within it. They knew they would have to continue their search the next year and asked Madam Beech if they could, which she did agree to since they had been "such darlings."  
  
The end of the year feast came. The House Cup was won by Ravenclaw, who beat Slytherin by ten points, which made a slight giggling fit pass through the hall since that was the opposite of how the Quidditch Cup had been. When the feast ended, though, everyone returned to their houses to pack, which depressed Tom completely. He would now have to return to the orphanage, return to the place he hated, where they all hated him and he them.  
  
"Tom, my parents *have* said..."  
  
"I know, Nathan. You have a trip to Greece with your family. Crinis is spending the summer in France, as is Lena. Rex is going to Rome to see his grandparents. And Darcy's going to visit his mother's relatives that are spread all over central Europe." Tom stopped packing, sighing. "I wish I had a family to go on holiday with."  
  
"You might not be able to go on vacations with a family, but you do *have* a family." Crinis walked to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "You have us. Though you might have to spend two months with those stupid Muggles, it's only two months. You'll be back here soon."  
  
"You're right."  
  
"I'll see if you can come home with me next summer," Rex said, feeling sorry he could not help him this year.  
  
"We will *all* ask our parents. One of us will be able to share our home with you," Nathan said, smiling.  
  
Tom smiled too, nodding. "Thanks...thank you all *so* much."  
  
That night, Tom could not sleep well, thinking over everything that had happened in the past year. His entire life had changed. He had found out he was a wizard, he had gotten friends, he had learned of his family history, and he had found a family...a home. Why did he have to leave? This was his world, not the Muggle world he was going to be returning to. He belonged where magic was, not technology. If only there was some way he could have stayed. If only something would happen where he could stay at school...  
  
The next day everyone brought their luggage to the entrance hall where it was taken on to the train for them while they had breakfast. Tom, the other boys in his year and house, and Lena headed down to where they had first gotten off the boats that had brought them across the lake about ten months before. They shared two boats and all watched the castle get farther and farther away. Tom leaned onto Lena's shoulder, feeling like crying. Lena knew how he felt and wrapped an arm around him to try and comfort him some.  
  
"It'll be alright, Tom," he heard Darcy say, with something of a smile on his face. He eyes seemed to sparkle some.  
  
Tom sighed. "I know."  
  
But McNair was not thinking about what Tom was. A nearly dreamy look came to his face. "Next summer, we might get to stay here."  
  
Everyone looked at him. They knew he had gotten a letter from someone that morning that had made him rather happy, but they had no idea what it had been about. They wanted to ask him now but thought he was just kidding. There were few things that would keep them at school for an entire summer.  
  
Once they arrived at the train, all six of them got their luggage and went to the same compartment on the train to share, even though Lena's friends were beckoning her to join them. They stowed their luggage then started to talk about what they had done that year and what they planned to do the next year. They played with a few games of chess and practiced a few spells.  
  
The sun slowly headed towards the western horizon, but it would not be set by the time they reached London. And soon they were at King's Cross Station. The train ride had seemed to take no time at all and they were now no longer allowed to use their magic.  
  
When they got onto the platform, they all went through the barrier together and while all his friends left with their families, Tom went to a ticket counter and bought a ticket to go to Great Hangleton, but the train was not leaving till morning. He had missed the evening train by about forty minutes. He was in no rush, though. He went to the restaurant that was in the main station and ate dinner. He guessed spending the night in the train station was better than having to be back at Great Hangleton in the morning.  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
All reviewers - *more huggles*  
  
Sabrina Black Snapeish - I like being mean and giving little hints...^_~...be careful...I might start doing it more to you...and just give up Severus to his "bonbon" so she'll stop complaining...and then the Snape fangirls and fight over him at their leisure...  
  
Liv - I don't know how he charms the librarian...he tells me the story and I write it...if you want to know, ask him yourself...*giggles*...well...honestly, I don't know how he would have done it, but he did say he could charm those he needed...and he does have his ways of going about it...and I never get tired of reading and responding to reviews...seeing that people like my story makes me happy and gives me incentive to work harder and faster on my story...and when it comes to finishing this story...I need a lot of incentive to keep me going, because it's going to be tedious, laborious, and LONG...  
  
Le Bonbon de Sensuous Severus - yes...you get more huggles...so...*hugglehugglehugglehugglehugglehuggle*...there...that better? And honey...you can *have* the traitor...take him...I don't care! And I wasn't on for several reasons...one of which was the fact that I was doing homework...  
  
***  
  
*Waves to people out there that read my story*...even if you don't review, I still love you...but why no let me know that you love me too? Give me a review and tell me what you think about the story so far...creative criticism is welcome too...and everyone feel free to e-mail me! *Huggles you all* 


	11. The Coming War

Chapter #11 – The Coming War 

Tom's summer had turned out to not be really any worse than the previous one, which made him very happy.  In fact, everyone seemed to be more interested with what was going on with Germany than in him.  It seemed that during the school year, Germany had taken over Austria and Czechoslovakia.  There was fear that Poland might be invaded next and the Muggle governments in both France and England had proclaimed that if the leader of Germany, Adolf Hitler, did attack, they would declare war on Germany.

Though he could care less about what was going on in the Muggle world, he could not help but think about what Darcy had said when they were heading to the train.  Was this war somehow going to also affect the wizarding world and Hogwarts?  He did not worry himself too much with it, though.  If they might stay at the castle the next summer, he was not about to fear any war.  Staying at school was *far* better than the orphanage, and it proved itself quite well.

The first month passed by slowly.  Tom was forced to take up his chores again as soon as he had returned.  The old ladies seemed to be having him make-up for the months he had missed doing it too.  Every morning they came in and woke him early and had him scrub a floor somewhere or trim the hedges or something around the old two story house.  And he did not have a break until it was time for lights out with all the things that needed scrubbing and painting and trimmed and repaired, since the house was about a century old and was falling into much disrepair.  And yet he had all his assignments to do over the summer waiting to be done.  He hated all the work.

Tom ended up having to do his homework at meals as best he could.  He would sit away from the other orphans and work feverously on his essays and reading.  The other kids relentlessly teased him and prodded at him, but he *had* to control his temper.  There was no way that he was going to accidentally use magic and get himself expelled from Hogwarts because of them.  That would completely ruin all his hopes of staying away from the orphanage because then he would have nowhere to escape to.

After a few rather painful encounters in the dining hall, which the mistresses of the orphanage did nothing about, he decided to take his homework outside with his meals.  This got him away from the other boys and he was able to work without them looking over his shoulder or trying to steal his books.  Finally by the first part of August he had finished his homework, but he did not stop his studying.  He went on to look at some higher level spells so he could be prepared for the things that he would be learning when he got back to school.

All during his break, he had received letters from his friends by owl.  He was glad they were thinking about him and he enjoyed hearing what they were all doing with their families.  They even sent him cards and small presents on his birthday, which was August sixteenth.  It made him feel not so alone to have them write to him, even if they could not do it often.  He always responded to them when he got a letter, even though he did not have much to talk about.  Though, with the mounting tension that sprung up when Russia signing a non-aggression pact with Germany, he decided it was time to ask Darcy exactly what he meant by what he had said.  When he got his next letter from Darcy, he ripped it open to see if he had answered the question.

_Grub dich, Tom!  You wouldn't believe the countryside up here.  __Denmark__ is great!  Anyway, I just really wanted to answer your question.  Yes, I do know what's going on, though not in really good details.  I just know that it's not just going to be a Muggle war this time.  We witches and wizards are going to be pulled into this too, though I don't think our Ministry knows about it yet.  Well, I'm off to have breakfast with my cousin before we leave from here.  Darcy._

Well, Tom at least knew what his friend had meant at the end of the school year, but now he was wondering what might happen within the wizarding world that concerned the coming war and that would end up keeping the students at school for the holidays.  He shrugged it off, though, telling himself again that no matter what, if it allowed him to stay at Hogwarts instead of having to return to the orphanage, he would not have any complaints.

The end of the summer had seemed to drag by after he got his letter from Hogwarts telling him what books he needed for the new year, which was not as many as the year before, thankfully.  Tom was getting rather bored with sitting around most of the day with nothing to do but chores upon chores.  If he were back at school, he could be in the library or playing chess or down by the lake or any other number of things.  He had friends there, people that *wanted* to do things with him, and even if his friends were busy, he could always find something else to do.  The castle was always full of things to do.  And there were no chores that he had to do.

On the next to last day of August, Tom woke early and left the orphanage without breakfast, creeping out so no one saw him or heard him.  He did not leave a note as he disappeared into the misty morning.  He took his trunk with him and walked to the train station that was in the middle of town.  He bought himself a ticket, had breakfast, and was off for London just before noon.  He was going back to school in two days and he had to make sure he had all his supplies for school since he had waited to get everything till right before he left to keep from having to return to the orphanage once he got his things.

When he arrived in London it was about an hour and a half before sunset, he walked to the Leaky Cauldron and asked for a room for the next two nights and went upstairs.  He set down his trunk then went back downstairs to have dinner, since he had not eaten since morning.  That night he slept very well, glad to be back in a place that was magical.

***

The next morning, after a good breakfast, Tom went down into Diagon Alley.  He got some more money out of his Gringotts' vault then headed straight for the one thing that he had wanted ever since he had first seen Quidditch for the first time – a broom.  He got the newest model out too, which was considered the best broom ever and had just come out the year before – the Comet 180.

Now, broom over his shoulder, he went about getting the few new books he needed for the new school year.  He ran into several of people he knew from his own house as he went from shop to shop, but he met none of his friends there.  He talked with a few of the people he knew, like Nolen Goyle and Annabelle Nott, but not for long, since he had to buy all his supplies.  It did not take him long to find everything he needed but there were a few more things that he wanted to look for as well.  He had talked to Lena about looking for books that had to deal with Salazar Slytherin at Flourish and Blotts but, finding none, he thought he might want to go to some other shops to look.

The rest of the afternoon he went around to all the second hand shops looking for anything.  Though he found many interesting things, he did not find what he was looking for.  As he was coming out of the last second hand shop on the alley, not having found anything there either, he ran into a brown-haired gentleman in rather rich purple robes.  "I'm sorry, Sir."

"Tom?"  The voice was familiar, coming from behind the man.  It was Rex, who looked happy to see him.  "It _is you!"_

"Yeah, it's me."

"Tom, this is my father."  Rex gestured to the man Tom had bumped into.  "Dad, this is Tom Riddle."

His friend's father looked at him a little arrogantly, sticking out his hand reluctantly.  "Pleased to meet you."

"Yes," Tom said, a little unsure of the man as they shook hands.

"Tell me," Mr. Dorian looked up at the shop with a slight sneer, "do you *always* shop in these places?"

"Oh, no!"  Tom felt rather insulted.  "I'm just looking for a book they didn't have at Florish and Blotts."

"I see," he said slowly, looking back at the boy in front of him.

"Oh, Dad, this is Dana Raghnall's son you're talking to."

Again, as had happened the previous year when he had first told his roommates, Rex's father's attitude changed immediately.  "Oh, I see, well, forgive me, Tom."

"It's alright, Sir."

Rex smiled, knowing his dad would be nice to Tom now.  "Have you finished your shopping?"

"Yeah, I finished before lunch."

"Ah, well, we haven't been back long.  We just now finished."

"Did you enjoy Rome?"

"Oh, yeah.  I was great!  I haven't seen my grandparents in so long."  A sudden look came to Rex's face and he turned to his father.  "Dad, you know those rumors we were hearing, Tom might be able to answer your question."

"What question?"

"There were rumors among the Muggles in Italy that there might be another 'Great War.'"

"Yeah, there's probably going to be a war.  It's been on the news all summer about what Germany's doing.  The Muggles are really worried."

Rex's father smiled slightly.  "As well they should be, for I've also heard from among a few of my *circles* that there is a powerful Dark Wizard helping out that Muggle in charge of Germany now.  I little doubted that the rumors were true.  And he is said to be planning some very interesting things, for both the Muggles and wizards."

"I'm afraid that I don't know anything about a Dark Wizard, though.  Living with Muggles…"  Tom stopped, too disgusted to continue.

"I can understand that.  Muggles are horrible."  His slight smile did not go away as he seemed to be thinking of something.  It faded, though, a moment later when he looked between his son and Tom.  "Well, boys, shall we go have dinner at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Rex said as Tom nodded.

As they headed to the Leaky Cauldron, they talked about what had happened at the end of their holidays since there had been little time to send owls back and forth in the past week with all the preparation everyone was doing to return to England.  They settled down in a booth and ordered dinner.

"Are you staying here tonight, Tom," Rex asked suddenly, remembering that Tom had said Great Hangleton was about thirty miles from the Scottish boarder.

"Yes, stayed here last night too."

"Could I stay the night with Tom here?  You could go on back home then, Dad.  I know you're busy since we just got back."

"I don't think there'd be a problem with it.  I'll send your trunk here immediately."

"Thanks, Dad."

Mr. Dorian looked at Tom.  "Which room are you in?"

"Uh," Tom wondered why he needed it, "room 7."

Once dinner was over, Rex said goodbye to his father then watched him Disapparate, which surprised Tom because he had never seen anyone disappear like that before.  He just stood there, wide eyed, until Rex turned to him and chuckled.  Rex explained Apparating to Tom as they headed upstairs, where they found Rex's trunk already next to Tom's.  Rex *then* had to explain about house elves, to dispel Tom confusion.  The two of them crawled into bed not much later and went to sleep, both dreaming of their coming year at Hogwarts.

***

To my reviewers –

Sabrina Black Snapeish – you and your continual abuse of the traitor…master might not like that…he's the one that want to hurt him…I'm sure…and be careful with those potions…they might do some unexpected things…these *are* Snape's potions afterall…remember?

Liv – no…I don't think that long is bad…I'm just saying that this is going to be very long…it'll be about 150 chapters when I get all three parts done…remember…this story is *only* part one of three…and I spend plenty of time in the Slytherin common room…believe me…my Slytherin-ness is quite evident these days…and sorry to have disappointed you since Tom didn't do anything nasty over the holiday…

RivanKnight – I feel as though I let you all down since there was nothing of major interest happening in this chapter…though…*thinks*…I might be able to do something with that idea…*jots down idea*…that might just come in handy later on…*evil grin*…all the Snape fangirls can fight over the man…just leave my master out of it and I'll be happy…*hugs Voldie*…

Deedlit Magic/Fayal Wood - ^_^…I'm glad to finally see your name in my reviews list…thanks for the two of them…hmm…describe…*goes back to top and adds a few things*…thanks for reminding me…and Tom/Lena are rather cute…and she doesn't mind at all that he's using her for his own purposes…

***

Alright...I'll get the next chapter up on Friday or Saturday...thanks so much for the reviews people...I hope you all keep reading and liking the story…


	12. A New Year, a New Teacher

Chapter #12 - A New Year, a New Teacher  
  
In the morning, Tom and Rex had breakfast and took a Muggle cab to King's Cross Station. They got into the train station and headed for the barrier, going through it easily this year. They were some of the first ones to get onto the train so they were able to pick out which compartment they wanted without having to look too long. The one they chose was in the perfect spot for them to see everyone coming through the barrier so they could spot their friends better.  
  
They stayed in their compartment, the window down so they could call to the rest of their friends as they came through the barrier. The first one they saw was Crinis, who quickly joined them. Lena was next but Tom did not call to her since her mother, who looked paler than he remembered seeing her at the beginning of the summer, was with her. Tom made himself readily visible, though, so Lena would know where he was. She came and joined them, smiling at him as she stowed her luggage and set her owl down on the seat. It was nearly time for the train to leave before Darcy and Nathan came onto the platform, literally one after the other and almost at a run. They hurried onto the train, not having seen their friends. As the train began to move away, parents waving their children goodbye, Crinis left to show the other two where they were.  
  
"How was your vacation," Tom asked Lena once she was seated next to him.  
  
"It was great, though there were whispers about war and all. There are a lot of wizards that are worried."  
  
"My dad said he's heard talk of a new Dark Lord," Rex said.  
  
"Oh, you mean Grindelwald?" Lena seemed to act so casual about it, as though everyone should know. "My dad's known about him for *years*."  
  
Tom and Rex looked at her shocked. They looked at each other then back to Lena as the other three boys came back. There was a strange look between that went between Darcy and Lena when they saw each other and she giggled while Darcy just smiled, sitting opposite Tom, in between Rex and Crinis.  
  
"What's going on?" Crinis looked at Darcy. "You know something, don't you?"  
  
"I know only what my cousin told me." He grinned as Lena giggled more. "But I'm not allowed to repeat what I was told. It's secret and all."  
  
Tom raised an eyebrow but said nothing.  
  
"So, how was the orphanage?" Nathan was standing by the door and had the solid gray cat he had gotten over the summer from his great-aunt resting in his arms, rubbing her softly. He sounded very sarcastic, smirking somewhat. "Did you have a great time there?"  
  
Tom groaned, closing his eyes. "Don't mention that horrid place. I don't want to ever go back there."  
  
"Did you get your work done at least?" Crinis looked at him, not having been able to send him many letters over the summer. "You mentioned that you had been being bothered."  
  
"I got it all done. I started going outside everyday to work on it. I wasn't bothered much then so I started staying out there even after I finished."  
  
"And all that work you had to do," Nathan visibly cringed at the mere thought of doing such chores.  
  
"It was bad after not having to do any for nearly a year. It was so tiring, and I hated it even more than before."  
  
"Well, like I said," Darcy leaned back, closing his eyes, "you shouldn't need to worry about it next year. No matter what."  
  
"Would you *please* just tell us," Rex nearly shouted, even though Darcy was sitting right next to him.  
  
"He means to say that Tom shouldn't have to worry about having to go back to the orphanage." Lena looked around at all of them. "Either he'll go home with one of us next summer or the war might keep us at Hogwarts."  
  
"Precisely," said Darcy, smiling at her.  
  
"But a Muggle war can't affect the wizarding world." Nathan continued rubbing his cat as she purred. "It didn't the last time the Muggles went to war...that 'Great War' of theirs."  
  
"That was last time." Tom saw where this was going. He understood and was starting to piece things together. "This Dark Wizard, Grindelwald, who's helping the Muggle...um, Hitler I think his name is, he could do damage to the wizarding world couldn't he?"  
  
"Right," Lena said with a nod.  
  
"But which of them is really in charge then? A Dark Wizard usually doesn't like Muggles much." Rex looked at Darcy, knowing he, somehow, had the answers he wanted. "Even if they're 'sharing' power, this Grindelwald has another agenda, I'm sure."  
  
"He does." Darcy smiled. "They always do, don't they."  
  
"Can we get off the subject of war and do something else," Nathan said.  
  
"Sure." Rex looked at Tom. "Got your chess set?"  
  
"Yeah." Tom got into his trunk and pulled it out. "Here."  
  
For the rest of the train ride, they played chess and practiced some of the spells that they would be getting to in class soon, most of which Tom already had looked over thoroughly. After a while, Tom pulled out his book of hexes he had gotten the previous year and everyone, except Lena, asked him if they could borrow it for a while. When the food trolley stopped by, they all got plenty of food to last them the rest of the trip. They looked at the hexes some more as they ate, talking of how nice it would be to be able to use some of the spells against the first years of other houses. When Lena gave them all a harsh look, though, they said they had only meant the first years in Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.  
  
Slowly, the sun set. They all knew they would be at Hogsmeade Station soon and they needed to change into their uniforms. Lena stepped out of the compartment to let the five boys change first then she got to change, thinking it was amusing that all of them had to stand outside, looking highly impatient while she took her time getting into her uniform. Then, with all of them in their uniforms, they returned to what they were doing.  
  
It was not too much later when that they arrived in at their destination. They followed the rest of the older students, not really knowing where they were supposed to go, hearing the groundskeeper Ogg calling for the first years. They reached a long row of horse-less carriages and saw other students getting into them. Tom and his friends all climbed into one of them and, after a moment, the carriage suddenly moved forward, moving in a procession towards the main gate. As they passed by the winged boar flanked gate, Tom had a feeling of homecoming...for this *was* his real home.  
  
When their carriage arrived at the castle, they hurried in and went to the Great Hall. They picked out seats where Lena and Tom could sit back-to- back so they could talk later on. Tom sighed, looking down at his plate, very ready to start the feast, though knowing that the first years had to be sorted first. He glanced up at the teacher's table, seeing a new face there. It was a middle-aged woman with long brown hair, which she had over her shoulder in a braid, wearing beige robes with black trimming. He knew she had to be the new Transfiguration professor.  
  
Once all the older students had been seated, the headmistress slipped out of the Hall, undoubtedly to bring in the newest additions to the school. After a few minutes, the doors opened again and Professor Madril entered, leading in the nearly four dozen new students. They filed down the between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables, awing at the rest of the students and the ceiling, which was showing the clear night sky. They went to the front of the Hall and stood. The Sorting Hat was placed in front of them then it broke out into a song, a different song than had been sung the previous year, which surprised Tom, till he was told by an older student, as they all clapped, that it sung a different song every year.  
  
The students were sorted: twelve to Gryffindor, ten to Hufflepuff, and eleven to both Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Once the last of the new students had been seated, Headmaster Dippet stood. The Hall fell silent to listen to his announcements.  
  
"This year, we have had a slight change in the lineup of professors. Professor Albus Dumbledore, formerly the Runes teacher, has agreed to take up Professor Vicuss' position as Transfiguration teacher. Professor Mariana Trevors is now going to be teaching Runes."  
  
There were several whispers about this announcement. Most of the students that were taking Runes were rather upset about the sudden change. Dumbledore was a great teacher for runes and it seemed strange that he would want to change since he liked teaching that subject. Hardly anyone knew that he was interested in Transfiguration as well.  
  
"That's strange," said a sixth year Slytherin near Tom.  
  
"I know," said a fourth year.  
  
"I wonder why he wanted to change," Crinis said.  
  
Tom looked at Dumbledore as the headmaster continued with the notices, which were mainly directed at the first years so they could know the general rules. The new Transfiguration professor's wavy auburn hair and beard were nearly to his waist. He wore half moon spectacles, behind which his blue eyes were looking at the Slytherin table. Tom swore that he was looking straight at him too. He swallowed hard, feeling like this professor knew things the others did not. He knew instantly that he did not like him.  
  
"Tom?"  
  
His gaze remained on the teacher. "Yeah?"  
  
"You alright?"  
  
The second year looked at the new Transfiguration professor for only a second longer then turned to Darcy. "Why would I not be?"  
  
"I don't know. You just seem a bit...I don't know..."  
  
"Is there something about Dumbledore you don't like," Rex asked, having noticed that Tom had been nearly glaring at him.  
  
Tom glanced back at the auburn haired professor, who was now talking to Professor Mercer. "I don't know. There might be."  
  
All of his friends looked at each other with slightly wide eyes. They did not get to say anything for the food suddenly appeared in front of them. They were all hungry, even though they had had plenty of food on the train. They grabbed what they wanted and ate and talked and were just generally glad to be back at school. Soon it was time for dessert and while they were eating, a prefect came by and whispered the new password for their house to each of them. Once they were done, the older students filed out and headed to their houses while the first years waited to be shown their to their houses.  
  
Tom got to his room first and curled up on top of his blanket. His feather- filled bed was so comfortable and he could not imagine how he stood being away for the two months he was. He did not worry about changing into his pajamas before he fell asleep, still on top of his covers, his arms wrapped around his pillow and a smile on his face.  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Liv - well, the reason that I'm weaving the war into the story is because it is important to the rest of the story...WWII was a major event in England and I think that it would have definitely have affected Tom's years at school, since that is when he attended (he graduated in 1945)...I'm glad you love Tom, I'm trying my hardest to portray him like I think he honestly would have been...and the fact that he is a lot like Harry, I think that he would have had similar situations regarding what goes on over the summer as well...and when it comes to his mom, well, that's a different story, something that, when you find out about her, you'll be surprised...but, yes, there is a lot of respect for her...and she had a lot of friends that really cared about her...  
  
Sabrina Black Snapeish - let's just hope that the fangirls get to Snape before Voldie....oh...wait...that might actually be a bad thing...I think he might actually prefer dealing with Voldie than with some of his fangirls...*sigh*...oh well...either way the traitor will hopefully be dead...  
  
RivanKnight - I'm glad I didn't let you down...you seemed so intent on seeing evil plots being acted on though, so I thought you might be...though you might be surprised at when the "bloodshed" actually starts...but there are plenty of violent thoughts to look forward too...^_^  
  
Le Bonbon de Sensuous Severus - *glares at you*...master is mine...don't make me fly out there and kick your butt...I'll teach you a thing or two...and you have your traitor to huggle on...so go to him...  
  
***  
  
I love you all...thanks so much for the reviews...I'm looking forward to possibly putting up three chapters next week so get me those reviews if you want more chapters fast...^_^...continue to enjoy... 


	13. Precautionary Measures

Chapter #13 – Precautionary Measures 

The weekend started right away so the Slytherin boys all went wondering on the grounds Saturday to get used to the castle again.  They all thought it was rather nice to be back at school, well, except Darcy, who seemed to want to be back in Denmark with one of his cousins.  They did not ask questions, seeming to realize rather quickly that that particular cousin was close to Grindelwald.

On Sunday afternoon it began to rain while they were still outside so they had to hurry back in so they would not get soaked.  They really did not mind having to go back into the castle much, though.  Well, not until they were caught up in one of Peeves little tricks as they came in the front entrance.  Though they had not had many encounters with the spirits of the castle in the past year, this was one they hoped would not be repeated.  Peeves dumped a bag full of Fizzing Slime Tabs onto them and they were suddenly covered in sludge that fizzled all over their wet clothes and they smelt horrible.  Apollyon Pringle, the castle's caretaker and a harsh old man that had to have the entire castle spotless seemed to have been following the poltergeist and nearly screamed when he saw what had happened.  Peeves cackled as he hurried off and Pringle went after him calling for the Bloody Baron, which was never good – though no one knew why.  The five boys trudged back to their dormitory to bathe and change clothes then they went back out, though by then they did not have much time before dinner.

The first few days back to classes were rather interesting.  It seemed that, for some reason, the Slytherin girls' animosity towards Tom and Lena had grown over the summer and the first day of Herbology saw a few hexes fly between them before Professor Madril showed up and quelled the fighting.  Tom, though, had had enough knowledge of some hexes to retaliate on Lena's behalf since they had temporarily taken her voice with one hex.  The deputy headmistress reversed the hex on Lena then class began.

After that, everything seemed to return to normal, but there was still a good bit of visible, though unexplainable tension between Lena and the Slytherin girls.  Even when Professor Sidus went to talk to the girls about it, there was still no solution to the problem.  The Slytherin boys and Lena surely hoped that whatever the problem was would go away on its own…and hopefully soon.  Other than that, the first week of the new school year was not all that bad.

As the year wore on, Tom began to feel like he had never left school in the first place.  Everything just seemed to flow perfectly from the year, and the memory of being at the orphanage was fading quickly.  Tom was doing even better this year than the previous year since he had all that time to study over the summer.  And then there was the thing that Tom had been waiting for all summer: searching the Restricted Section again.  Since they had already at least glanced over all the books there, they knew where the best sources would probably be.

Soon autumn had come to the castle.  Being at Hogwarts, Tom had not heard what was going on in the Muggle world.  He had not heard that Britain and France had declared war on Germany.  All the students at Hogwarts were more interested in Quidditch season starting than with what was about to happen because even the Muggle-born students did not think that there could be anything that would affect them where they were.

It was breakfast the day after Halloween when, like usual, a copy of the Daily Prophet was dropped to Rex.  Since he was eating, Tom grabbed the paper and opened it up and gasped as soon as he saw the headline.  All his friends turned to him, wondering what it was.  They too gasped.

Muggle Children to be Evacuated

On September 3rd, the Muggle governments of Great Britain and France declared war on Germany because of its army's  invasion of Poland.  There is a fear among the Muggles that there will be bombings or gas attacks and are making plans to evacuate the children to the countryside north of York.

The liaison between the Ministry and Muggle Parliament, Brian Maddox, has spoken to both the Muggle Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and the Minister of Magic Alexander Channing about this.  This is, of course, also going to affect the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and there are plans being made to get the new students to the school, since the Channing has thought it best to keep the children at school in case the rumors about this war are true.  Parents will, though, be able to visit their children there.

There will be more about this unfolding war among the Muggles and how it is going to affect the wizard community.  We hope that everything will turn out for the better so all these precautions will be lifted and the students will not be stuck at school over their holidays.

"I sure as hell hope this will not 'turn out for the better.'"  Tom glared at the paper then handed it to Rex.  "I do *not* want to go back to the orphanage."

"And you won't," Crinis said.

"See, didn't I tell you?"  Darcy grinned, looking at Tom's relieved expression.  "No more going to the orphanage."

"I'm very glad of that."  He continued smiling, feeling like shouting for joy.  He glanced over at Lena, who was reading the front page of the _Daily Prophet, not noticing him.  He turned back to his friends.  "Now I'll never have to leave my home."_

"Not till we graduate at least," Rex said.

"Hey…" something suddenly hit one of the older students near them "…what about getting our books and supplies?"

"The shops in Hogsmeade have all the stuff we need," another student told the other.

"Or our parents could send them," a prefect suggested, reading through his own copy of the paper.

"I sure hope the Ministry'll decide something before the end of this school year," someone else said, looking worried.

There had arisen a great buzzing in the Great Hall about this news.  Some of the Muggle-borns and half-bloods were talking about what they had heard about Germany while they were home over the summer.  There was also some mention of the Dark Wizard supposedly helping the Muggle dictator of Germany.  Teachers had to break up the discussions to get the students off to class, even though they too were interesting in discussing this turn of events.

***

Over the next few days, there was more news about the situation.  The Muggles had decided to move the children north and the Ministry of Magic was making their plans to deal with these events.  The more Tom read about it, the more one thing kept bothering him.  There was a lot of mention about the liaison between the Ministry and Muggle government.  Tom did not know there was such a thing, having been told that there were very few Muggles that even knew about the wizarding world, and most of those were the parents of students that attended the school.

"Oh, the Maddoxes."  Nathan was a little surprised by the question when Tom asked.  "Their family's been the liaison ever since there was one.  They used to be one of the oldest pure blooded families but they had a curse put on them and now, no matter how much they marry into magic, their children will all be squibs."

"How'd they become liaison?"

"Saved some noble or something.  Got an audience with the Muggle king and, even in those troubled times for our kind, there was an understanding reached.  Amazed every wizard in Britain.  It was still at least another century before France got a liaison.  Other countries followed after that.  There's a lot of people that think it's stupid, though."

"Really?  That's interesting.  How many people know then…about our world?"

"Only the current and former Prime Ministers and one person within the Muggle royal family.  Think it's the queen right now, or someone like that," Rex said.

Nathan shuddered as he thought about it.  He was one of the most Muggle hating people that Tom knew and he said under his breath: "Muggles knowing about the things we do."

"Whenever there's something that might affect both worlds going on," Rex continued, "the Maddoxes will talk with the Muggles.  That's rare though, so there's little contact even between them at times."

Tom nodded, understanding.  He still thought it was rather odd that he had not read about it yet in History of Magic class, though they did cover different topics every year so they might not get to that till in a later year.  He wondered how, with what he knew of the witch hunts from the Muggles, there could have been any such association between the witches and wizards and Muggles.  He shrugged off the thought and finished his breakfast, ready to head to Herbology so he could spend some time with Lena, hoping that the girls in his house would not pull any hexes that day.

***

To my reviewers – 

Le Bonbon de Sensuous Severus – I'm never on AIM for many reasons…why are YOU never on AIM???  *points at RivanKnight*  You might want to let go of Sevvie…

Liv- Glad you don't mind that it's going to be sooo long…and I'm glad you love it…hope you keep loving it…

MayDancer27 – hmm…confuzzled is bad…his telling his roommates will actually take a while…he's actually trying to keep it from them, though I never really say that in the story…and the name thing *giggles about you saying "superior mind"* is actually really simple, but not for a while yet…I've been meaning to add more about the Slytherin girls but never get remember how…hope I did good at the beginning of this chapter…loved your idea of hexes by the way…and as long as I am the author of this story…Tom/Voldie is mine!  *cackles insanely*  All mine!!!

Sabrina Black Snapish – don't worry…you'll be getting lots this week…three chapters by Friday night!

RivanKnight – of course Tom doesn't like Albus…you expect him too?  There's good reason why they don't like each other but most of that doesn't really get explained until Tom's sesventh (yes, seventh) year…and let go of LBdSS…

***

Reviews please…^_^…lots of reviews are good…they give you more chapters to enjoy…


	14. Searches of the Past

Chapter #14 – Searches of the Past 

All too soon it was time for the Christmas holiday.  Since none of the students were being allowed to go home, all the students were staying at school.  There had been little news about the war for a while, except for a little snippet deep in the paper on general things for those interested in the affairs of Muggles.  Tom could not be less interested, but always read the articles anyway, just to see.  There was something about this war that was highly appealing to him.

Tom and Lena had spent as much time as they could in the library, looking through books as they continued their search for the Chamber.  Though they had found some useful things, they still felt like they were no closer to finding it than they had been when they had started.  But when Lena found one book and had Madam Beech take it down, even if it was reluctantly on the librarian's part, she thought she had found the first clue to unraveling the mystery.

"Hey, Tom," Lena set a book beside him on the table they usually worked at in the Restricted Section, "look what I found."

The book's title was _Hogwarts Castle: An Incomplete Survey_.  Tom looked up at her somewhat puzzled.  "'Incomplete?'"

"Well, it talks about all the spells and hidden rooms and passages known or speculated about in the castle.  No one knows if they've found everything yet."  She looked down at the book her hand was resting on.  "I flipped through it and I did find something that might be useful."

The Slytherin brightened up from the rather gloomy mood he had been in a few minutes before.  "Really?"

Sitting down beside him finally, she opened the book and looked for the section she had found earlier.  Once she found it, she showed it to Tom.  It was about the Chamber of Secrets legend and the searches that had been done to try and locate it.  He pulled the book closer and started to read it to himself:

_"Ever since Salazar Slytherin first left the castle, there have been periodic searches to try and locate his 'Chamber of Secrets.'  All attempts to find it have proved futile, though.  Still some professors, some very ambitious students, and even the Ministry have tried to find this hidden room._

_"The first attempt to locate the Chamber was conducted by none other than Gordic Gryffindor himself as soon as he heard of the rumor.  He scoured the castle from the top of the __South__ _Tower___, which is where the astronomy classes were taught by Slytherin, to the deepest part of the dungeons with no success.  After searching for several years, often with the help of the other two founders, he gave up, saying that Slytherin had created no Chamber and it was just a story._

_"Still, the story remained.  Over a hundred years later, the then headmaster, Marlon Perquius, started a search of his own, employing all the current professors to assist him over several summer holidays.  After many tries, there was still no sign of the Chamber.  There were no more known attempts to locate the Chamber for several centuries._

_"When the next people tried to find it, it was a very unlikely group.  During the height of the witch hunts, nearly the whole of Slytherin House went about searching for it, to use the creature said to be within it not against the Muggle-borns at the school, but against the Muggles doing the witch hunts.  They were caught, though, and were forced to stop their search or be expelled._

_"The best documented search of the castle occurred between 1739 and 1748.  This added more knowledge about the castle than any other previous search, all of those things are included within this tome.  The main reason of the thorough search was because the Ministry thought it would be good to bring in professionals to search the castle to assure that any dangers were known.  They spent nearly a decade searching the castle.  Several of the searchers had speculations about the Chamber's location, but none of them proved true._

_"After this, a few more minor searches took place but there was still nothing found.  Though there are some rumors of some people coming to search the castle and disappearing without a trace, it has never been determined whether these disappearances have any ties to the Chamber of Secrets or not.  At the writing of this book, there is still no more proof of the existence of the Chamber of Secrets than Godric Gryffindor had when he undertook the original searches.  It is still considered just a story and legend by all scholars and historians."_

Tom looked up at his friend, seeming to be beaming with joy.  "It mentions a thorough search done by the Ministry.  Is there any way to get that information?"

"I could write my father and ask him what he thinks.  Since he works at the Ministry and has friends in nearly every department, he might be able to find those documents."

"Thanks, Lena."

"It's not a problem.  I'm happy to help, you know that."  She stood.  "I'll go to the owlery and send Taliesin to him now, if that's alright with you."

"Yeah, it's getting late.  Go ahead."  He smiled as she started to leave.  "And Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," Lena said as she smiled then left the Restricted Section.

Tom turned back to the book, reading the passage again.  He wanted to find more information along these lines.  This is what he had been searching for for a year.  This gave him more things to look into.  If there was something that would lead him to even some *speculated* locations, he was doing good.

After finishing reading it for the second time, he looked through the book.  Some of the other information in it might come in handy later.  He gathered the few notes he had made and left the Restricted Section with the old book.  He set it on the librarian's desk with a smile.  She had started letting them check out books about a month before since they were still being very good about how they were using the Restricted Section and she trusted them.

"Would you like to check this out, Mr. Riddle?"

"Yes, Madam Beech."

The librarian looked at the book's title and frowned.  "Tom, this book…"

"I'm not going to go around doing things that would break the rules or anything.  I promise.  I just want to check it out for a little while.  You know.  Learn some faster ways to class."  He smiled, working his charm on her, like he seemed to always be able to do with the teachers.  No matter how he lied, she always seemed to believe him.  "I promise I won't do anything that a prefect wouldn't.  You have my word."

Pursing her lips, she studied the book for a moment then looked at him.  "I will check this out to you on *three* conditions.  One, you can only have this out for a week.  Two, no one else is to see you with this book.  And three, you do not break any school rules with the information in it.  Do any of these three things and I might keep you from using the Restricted Section permanently, even if you become the Head Boy."

Tom smiled and nodded, though he was sure that he could still change her mind about it at a later date so he could keep it out longer, this was a good start.  "I understand."

With her wand, she signed the book out to him and handed it back to him without a word, which he took with a "thank you" and a very grateful nod, though there was no way he was going to be following the conditions she had given him.  Tom smiled as he headed back to his house, not believing that she had actually given him that book, though he had found that the teachers here were a little *too* easily swayed with his charm.  No one ever seemed to think that he could be lying even when he was blatantly doing so.  He looked at the book with an even bigger smile.  After a year of searching, they had found some other decent books and come up with a good list of possible locations where the Chamber of Secrets might be.  He looked at the list he had been working on.  Hopefully the list the Ministry had compiled would be helpful to him, if Lena's father could get hold of it.  And soon he could start looking for his ancestor's hidden chamber, wherever it was, and then let out the creature within.

***

To my reviewer – 

Sabrina Black Snapish – Glad you liked the last chapter…yes…I've been trying to figure out how to put in the "hatred" that the Slytherin girls have for Lena/Tom…which I still don't understand…I need to ask master about that since it *is* his story…and, yes, you'd better find the real Potter this time…master is still rather upset about the last incident…and I hope that Narcissa didn't spend too much of Lucius' money when she went shopping…

***

*Waves to all my readers*…review me, please…^_^


	15. Lena's Promise

A/N - be forewarned all ye that dislike mushy scenes...there are some in this chaper...and I do hope that they are good mushy scenes...if you think they could be better, please tell me...  
  
***  
Chapter #15 - Lena's Promise  
  
The new year came quickly and classes started back far too soon. Tom was waiting for the owl Lena's father was to send with the information they had asked for, because he said he would be able to get it, he just needed to have a friend locate it. Lena had to keep reminding him that it might take him a while to find it and he would probably need to copy it if it were an original, since he could not give the original to Tom. As spring approached, there had still been no word from her father and Tom was starting to worry if he would even get it. Of course, while he had been waiting, he had found out many interesting things about the school from the book that Lena had found, including the location of some very important secret passage...and the entrances to each of the houses (which might just come in handy).  
  
One morning, while the mail was being delivered, Lena came over to the Slytherin table and sat down between Tom and Nathan, who was reading in the Daily Prophet about the attempts to locate the Dark Wizard that was rumored to be helping Hitler. "I got a letter from my father."  
  
"About time," Tom said, speaking with his mouth full of toast. He had gotten a bit impatient about getting the response since it had taken nearly two months to find the papers he was looking for.  
  
"He said that he has found the documents you wanted, but he will have to copy them."  
  
"That's not a problem." He swallowed his toast and drank some pumpkin juice. "Did he say when he might get them to us?"  
  
"He said he'd send it with my birthday present. That's about two weeks from now."  
  
At the mention of her birthday, he groaned. "I wish I could get you..."  
  
"It's *alright*." She wished she had not said anything about her birthday now. "You don't have anyone to go and get anything for you to give as presents and we aren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade till autumn. But, for me, your friendship is enough, though. I promise."  
  
"Mush," said Rex in a disgusted tone, who was across the table from them, reading his own copy of the Daily Prophet.  
  
The two of them looked at him and shook their heads. Rex paid no more attention to them. All Tom's friends seemed to think that they two of them were a bit too mushy, saying that boys and girls should not be as good of friends as the two of them were. The Slytherin girls were all sniggering to themselves about the two of them and then whispered something amongst themselves. Tom and Lena had come to ignore all of that, though. They might be a boy and a girl, but they saw no reason that they could not be friends.  
  
"Anyway, I'll give them too you as soon as I get them."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You're welcome." She stood and started back to her table. "See you this afternoon in Herbology."  
  
***  
  
As the next two weeks went by, Tom could not help but feel more and more excited about getting the information that Lena's father had found for him. He really felt that it would be a big help to his search for his ancestor's chamber. He kept looking at the list he had already compiled, wandering if any of the places he had listed would be on the list by the Ministry or if they were all original ideas.  
  
When Lena's birthday got there, she did not get her present from her father, which upset her more than it did Tom, but she figured that her father was like he had been the year before and sent her present to her *on* her birthday so she would get it the next day. Her father always seemed to think that owl post did not take very long, even if it did have to travel from central Wales to northern Scotland. Of course, she already knew what her present was since her father nearly always got her what she wanted.  
  
Lena went to breakfast late the morning after her birthday, being a Saturday she could do that easily. She yawned as she walked in the Great Hall and saw two of her family's owls sitting on top of a package on the Ravenclaw table. She looked for Tom but he was not there. She hurried to the owls and untied the package from their legs. They hooted at her then flew off.  
  
Tearing into the present, she saw what she had asked for, which was actually more for Tom than for herself. This would come in so handy for him. She ran her hand over the material. This was a special, silvery cloak that felt like the cloth was made of water, not hair, and it was quite a rare item. On top of the gift were several sheets of paper in her father's handwriting. She smiled then hurried from the Great Hall with the package, completely forgetting about having breakfast.  
  
Thinking of where he might be, she went out into one of the courtyards of the castle, the one that Tom usually sat in with his friends, but he was not there, nor were any of the other Slytherin boys. She did not give up on the outside search, though, knowing that since the weather was getting nicer, he would most likely be outside. She hurried towards the area where the lake met the Forbidden Forest, which was another one of his favorite spots to sit and do his homework.  
  
When she rounded the castle, she saw him sitting under a tree, looking at the lake where a few of the students were rowing a boats across the slightly rippled surface. She smiled. She hurried to the edge of the forest and crept through the trees towards him as quietly as she could. She stopped a few feet from him and set her present on the ground. She took out a cloak and wrapped it around herself, disappearing with a quiet giggle. She picked up the papers and tucked them inside the cloak with her so they would not be seen as she walked towards him.  
  
As she drew closer, Tom looked up, sensing someone but he saw nothing. He started to go back to his homework when Lena put her hands around his neck. He nearly screamed. She giggled and he instantly knew it was her, even if he could not see her. That giggle was unmistakable. She slipped the papers into his lap.  
  
"Happy un-birthday," she whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek through the material.  
  
"What is that that you're wearing," he asked, feeling the strange feeling cloak against his skin.  
  
"An Invisibility Cloak, Silly. This is the *only* thing I asked my father to get me for my birthday and, so, I have it."  
  
"Aren't those expensive, though?"  
  
"My family is not lacking in money." She pulled the cloak away from her face, smiling down at him. "I wanted to get it mainly so you could look around the castle without anyone seeing you do so."  
  
Tom sighed, hating that she had done such a thing. "You didn't have to."  
  
"Well, I did." Lena pulled the cloak off completely and folded it up neatly. "I like doing things for you. You've never had anyone to buy you things and it's always nice to get presents."  
  
"I know, but now that I have money to buy presents for the first friends I've ever had, I haven't been able to."  
  
The now thirteen-year-old sat beside him with a laugh. "You don't need to buy us presents."  
  
"I want to, though."  
  
"And I can understand you desire to do so."  
  
After a moment of silence between them, he looked at his friend. "Lena?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Why have you always been so kind to me?"  
  
The Ravenclaw looked at him, a little surprised by the question. "I don't know. There's just something about you that draws me to you, I guess."  
  
Tom laughed, something he did not do much since he thought it sounded strange, being so high-pitched.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Something *draws* you to me?"  
  
"Yes." Her voice was slightly irritated sounding at his making fun of her words but she smiled nonetheless. "There is something about you, Tom Marvolo Riddle, and I want to be part of that 'something.'"  
  
The Slytherin looked at her, the faintest of smile on his face. "I hope you will be."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes." He leaned closer to her. "And you will be, won't you?"  
  
"Yes...always."  
  
"Good." He kissed her on the cheek. "I want you to stay with me."  
  
"No matter what, I am yours." She smiled. "And I shall stay by your side until the day I die. I promise."  
  
"That's a big promise," he whispered, his face inches from hers.  
  
"I know, but it's made now, and I *always* keep my promises." She put her hand to his face, smiling as she stroked his cheek with her thumb. She enjoyed being "used" by him and did not care that he truly *was* only using her. She wanted to be with him...she had to be with him, for whatever reason it was. "I'll belong to you, if you'll have me."  
  
Tom said nothing. He kissed her softly on the lips, holding her close. She was not at all surprised. She wrapping her arms around him, relishing his lips on hers. They stayed there for a moment, lingering in their kiss. When their lips parted, they looked into each other's eyes, smiling.  
  
"Your promise is sealed with our kiss."  
  
"Very well." She bit her lip slightly, looking sly yet very cute and innocent, their noses touching lightly. She really wanted another kiss but doubted he would give her one. "Anything else?"  
  
He shook his head as he pulled away. "Let's get started looking at this information."  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Sabrina Black Snapish - thanks for saying I did a good job with the article...I always try and make them sound "Rowling-ish"...is that a word? Well, is now...^_^ And master isn't going to hurt anyone...right now...  
  
MayDancer27 - didn't like the name Tom before HP? Wow...I don't think it's a horrid name...but it could have been better...*pets your kitty*...*meows just like a cat*...I don't know if you can have Draco...hmm...I'll think about it...sorry it took you a while to find the last chapter...one way to check for the next chapter is just to put the next chapter's nubmer at the top where it says "&chapter="...that works sometimes...if you think there might be a new chapter...  
  
RivanKnight - you don't know what AIM is? It's AOL Instant Messenger...I talked to LBdSS and she said that you should be able to download it...just go to AOL's website...I don't know about the Slytherin girls being jealous...it's more of the fact that in the early part of the 20th Century girls and boys didn't tend to be that good of friends...kinda taboo, you know...killings won't start for a while, but don't worry...they will start...^_^...and don't throw toffees at LBdSS...throw bigger things...they'll get her attention faster...and anyway...she's not been on for good reasons...  
  
***  
  
*Bounces around*...reviews please? Oh...pretty please with sugar on top? ^_^ 


	16. Summertime

Chapter #16 - Summertime  
  
The information that had been gathered by the Ministry was more useful than anything else that they had found in the library. There were plenty of descriptions of what the main person looking for the Chamber looked for and what he thought was the way to get into any number of them, looking at several of the ways into other parts of the castle, such as the houses and some of the secret rooms hidden through the castle. Tom and Lena poured over this information and added almost half a dozen more possibilities to the list of seven that Tom had already come up with. Some of the other ones that the documents mentioned, though, they either already had or just seemed so unlikely that they did not write them down.  
  
When Tom asked how they would go about their search for the Chamber, Lena was very surprised because she thought he would want to go searching alone. She quickly got over her shock and helped start a plan with him, which seemed closer to being carried out with every newspaper that said the Ministry still had no way to get the new students to the school in the autumn, let alone the current students home. The summer was when they were planning to start all their searching, since most of the students would be outside on those hot days to come.  
  
Not long before the end of April, the second years were told to pick at least two extra classes to add to their curriculum starting the next year. They had several classes to choose from that all seemed somewhat interesting. Tom swore that he would not take Muggle Studies, he had been raised by them and knew all he wanted to about them. Runes did not really interest him, nor did Arithmancy or Care of Magical Creatures. The only one that caught his interest was Divination, which he thought would be great, even though he was told that it was really hard and basically a joke, and always had been, no matter how many different teachers they could have teaching it. He asked his roommates what they were taking and found that they were all either taking Care of Magical Creatures or Runes. He decided to take Care of Magical Creatures with Nathan and Darcy since he did not think he would be able to take a class once taught by Dumbledore, who had become one of his least favorite teachers since he always seemed to be watching him for some reason, even if he *did* like Tom's work more than the other students'.  
  
There was a lot of buzz as the school year neared its end when there was talk about wizarding places on the Continent that had been destroyed. The French Minister of Magic said that there had been a confirmation of there being a dark wizard helping the Muggles with their invasion and they were setting up ways to counter the coming invasion on their country from magical means, none of which were implemented in time.  
  
It was one week before finals at dinner when the headmaster said he had an announcement. The Hall fell silent, ready to hear what he had to say, knowing it was about whether or not they would be going home for the summer holiday. He stood slowly, weaker than usual, having been ill the week before, and began:  
  
"Students, I am afraid that the Ministry has not yet found a solution to getting you all home. I know that this vexes all of you, but the Ministry says that it is probably best to have you all stay here anyway." He looked around at all the students. "The rumors of the Dark Lord have been verified as you all know and there is fear among the wizarding communities that if this island nation is attacked in anyway, it will most certainly also affect the wizarding world, just as it shall the Muggle.  
  
"The Ministry is looking into a recently created means of travel to get the new students here when the new school year starts. As that your staying here is going to prevent you from going to Diagon Alley to collect the things you need, the shops in Hogsmeade will have all the supplies that you students will need for your classes next year. Over the summer, your parents will be allowed to come see you here at the school, except in the cases of the Muggle-born students, of course, but the Ministry is working on resolving that issue as we speak.  
  
"For all students this summer, you will be allowed to go to Hogsmeade, though only on the weekends. There will still be some meetings with your teachers to help you become even better with your magic." He paused as moans rose in the Hall, as he had expected there to be upon that announcement. "And there will be extra homework given since you will all be here over the summer. There are plenty of diversions that the professors have devised for you all to keep you entertained over the holiday as well. If any of you have specific questions to ask, please address your head of house and he or she will answer them for you."  
  
Headmaster Dippet sat back down in his seat. Tom looked at Lena with a huge smile, which she returned. They would be staying! Their plan was set! Yet, even as Tom thought these things, as had happened several times before, he got a strange feeling. He looked up to the teacher's table and saw Professor Dumbledore looking at him over the top of his half moon glasses. He did not know what made Dumbledore so interested in him, but he surely did not want him finding out his plans.  
  
***  
  
Soon their exams were over and, instead of a Leaving Feast this year, they had a "Start of Summer" Feast, where the House Cup champions were named: Gryffindor - by a mere ten points over Ravenclaw. When the feast was over, everyone dispersed to their dormitories, talking about what they were going to do first in Hogsmeade the next day. Tom stopped, though, a little ways away from everyone to talk to Lena.  
  
"So, do you want to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow or start searching the castle?"  
  
"Tom, I really don't understand why you want *me* helping you. I mean...why not one of your other friends. Crinis or Nathan...or Darcy. They would all be much better than me for this."  
  
"Because I want *your* help, Lena. I mean, you're a Ravenclaw and all and I knew you'd be really helpful in the library and since you've helped me this far, I want you to help me the rest of the way."  
  
A smile came to her face.  
  
"So, what'll it be? Hogsmeade or the castle?"  
  
"Hogsmeade." She smiled broadly. "I haven't been there in years and I *have to* go shopping. My dad sent me loads of money to spend."  
  
"Then Sunday?"  
  
"Yeah." She looked at a few of the students passing by them to make sure that no one was paying attention. "I'm sure the majority of them will be down at Hogsmeade again or at the lake and that'll give us the chance we need to start looking."  
  
"Alright. How are we going to do this?"  
  
"It's your idea, Tom. You're the one coming up with all these plans. I'm just helping with the research part of it."  
  
Tom laughed. "Then I'll tell you tomorrow on our way down to Hogsmeade what I come up with."  
  
"Alright, then. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
***  
  
For half of the summer they searched the castle nearly every day, except when Lena got the urge to go spend loads of money in Hogsmeade again. Under the Invisibility Cloak, they were sure that no one would see them and could go places that they would not normally be allowed. Of course, after their first kiss back in March, they ended up taking a few long kissing breaks when they had been searching for a few hours. Being close together under the cloak did not help with this at all because Tom kept kissing her neck and making her giggle, which one time got Professor Trevors' attention.  
  
Tom personally checked the Slytherin Common Room and, just to be sure, even though Lena seriously doubted it, he had her check the Ravenclaw Common Room, since Rowena and Salazar *did* have a very intimate relationship before he left. They searched the dungeons, the astronomy tower, the library, all eleven places they had thought the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be located. Once they had exhausted all of the theorized places, they went out onto the grounds to discuss their next course of action.  
  
"Well, what next?"  
  
"I don't know." Tom leaned back onto the grass, looking up at Lena. "I just don't know."  
  
"We should have known it wouldn't be anywhere that would be thought to contain an entrance to a secret chamber. I mean..."  
  
"I know. Salazar was not that ignorant. He most likely hid it somewhere where no one would think to look. Somewhere that would not seem obvious."  
  
"Exactly. And we just got finished looking in all the most obvious places. Where are there some extremely unlikely places?"  
  
"The kitchens," Tom said as his stomach growled.  
  
"That might actually be a good place to start."  
  
"Not today." He sighed. "I've had enough of searching for one day."  
  
"Well, we only have about two and a half weeks before the new students arrive, you know. Once classes start again we'll have very little time to go around searching."  
  
"I know."  
  
"So what do you want to do? Stay here a little longer or go to get some food?"  
  
"Food." He sat up. "I feel starved."  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Liv - you only read two...*counts to make sure her math isn't fuzzy*...you did read 13 too, right? Well, you might not have reviewed when you read that one if you were busy...and that's fine...^_^...just used to your reviewing for each chapter...thanks for taking the time to read my story...  
  
Sabrina Black Snapish - Rowling-ish is a word if I say it is...*cackles insanely*...and make sure that Lucius is okay...I mean, I did warn you...and it was your job to warn everyone else...*sigh*...and so master has a slightly soft, warm spot in his diamond-hard, Antarctica-cold heart...it's vanishing pretty noticeably come about chapter 45...I promise...  
  
Le Bonbon de Sensuous Severus - :-P...is all I have to say to you...  
  
RivanKnight - so was the mush good? You didn't say...but...guess it was if you liked the chapter still...^_^...and at least the marshmallow is squishy...it shouldn't hurt her too bad...though she might smoother in it...  
  
***  
  
Hello?! ^_^ It's me again with my asking for reviews...please review me and let me know what you think...it really means a lot to me... 


	17. Portkeys

Chapter #17 - Portkeys 

When there was a week and a half left before school started, Tom received an owl.  At first he had thought it was for one of the other Slytherins but the bird was insistent on approaching him.  Rex had to remind him that owls always knew to whom their letters were to be delivered so it had to be for Tom.  He was rather shocked when he did realize this, never having gotten a letter before from anyone while he was at school.  He took the letter from the owl, which flew off as soon as it had been removed, not even staying for a drink.  Tom opened the letter and, upon unfolding it, saw an elaborately scripted "G" at the top written in gold ink.

_Mr. Riddle,_

_Because of the situation you are under, we are allowing money to be taken from your vault by owl request.  Please write the amount of money you wish withdrawn below along with your vault number then enclose your key with your request and return your response to the bank as soon as possible._

_Head Goblin_

_Gringotts___

_Diagon Alley, __London___

Tom smiled.  He had been running low on money and was hoping some solution would present itself.  His friends had been sent money for their supplies by their parents or their parents had come to buy them with their children in Hogsmeade, but he had no one to do either of those for him.  He stuffed the letter into his pocket, going back to his breakfast.  He would need to get his quill and key a little later since they were in his dormitory.

Once he finished eating, he ran back to the dungeons to return the letter.  He got his quill and wrote down that he wanted 53 Galleon, 20 Sickles, and 20 Knuts, which he hoped would last him all school year.  He then went into his trunk and searched for his key, which was at the very bottom of it.  He put it in the envelope then, looking over the letter again to make sure he had everything, wrote down his vault number too.  He resealed it with a fresh wax seal and left his room with it, heading for the owlery to send it off.

***

It was a few days later, not long after Tom had gotten his money and new school supplies, when he saw a huge article in the _Daily Prophet about the means by which the new students were to get to the school: portkeys.  None of the students knew what these were, and many of the teachers had not known before they had been told by the Minister of Magic himself earlier in the summer.  This information had been kept secret to keep anyone from finding out about it and perhaps jeopardizing the attempts to get the new students to school._

"Portkeys sound dangerous," one of the older Slytherin students said, rereading the article.

"They say it's safer than Apparating, though."

"I don't know about that."  One of the now second year girls shook her head.  "This seems risky too.  Sending several people through one of these things at once?  Only really good wizards can Apparate with someone or something else."

"It's the best solution they could find, and the subtlest," Professor Sidus said, standing between two of his students.

"Is it safe," Crinis asked.

"The Ministry would not be using it if they had not proven it was safe to use," their head of house said.

"Who came up with it?"

"A witch in Russia, I do believe.  Quite brilliant, though not much attention was given to it when she first created it a few decades ago.  It was thought too risky, though few really tested it.  The Ministry says it might become the main means of travel for us one day, though."

"Good, no more brooms, then," Rex said.  He was terrified of heights and his fear had only increased after he had fallen from a broom over the summer.

***

A few hours before sunset on the first of September, the students all went to the Great Hall to gather for the Welcoming Feast.  They had not been allowed to go to Hogsmeade that day since the new students had arrived earlier to get their supplies.  They were all talking about what it must have been like to have come in such a way to Hogwarts.  It was certainly more "magical" than a train.

The paper that morning had talked about the manner in which it had been arranged to get the students together.  Each area that there were Muggle-born or half-bloods that had been sent to the countryside were given a specific location from which to find their portkeys at.  There was to be a Ministry official at that location to help the students with their things and to calm any fears.  Wizarding families, on the other hand, had been sent their portkey to use on that day, if they did not wish to bring their children through Apparation or with Floo Powder.

It was not long before all the new students came bustling into the Hall.  The group looked the same as they had the past two years that Tom had been at Hogwarts, but there was one student that stood out very prominently.  He had to be nearly six feet tall.  There were several murmurs rising around the Hall about this.  No one really knew what to think about him.  Tom looked up at the teacher's table and saw that the headmaster was looking at the boy with reserve.  But when he glanced at Dumbledore, he saw a brilliant smile and a twinkle in the man's eyes, as though it were his own son, though Tom doubted that.

The stool was brought out with the Sorting Hat on it and set before the new students.  Professor Madril unrolled her scroll and began to call names.  Six students were call before the very tall boy was named.

"Hagrid, Rubeus."

The giant boy stepped forward rather shyly.  There was still much muttering from the crowd in the Hall, which had increased again when he stepped forward.  They all said he seemed way too old to be a first year, and if he was really *just* eleven years old, he could not be completely human.  Tom and Lena exchanged a smirk then the Slytherins all sniggered together, Tom joining in, knowing the boy would *never* be a Slytherin.  Most of the Ravenclaws were saying very quietly that they knew he would not be placed in their house.  He looked too much like a dumb oaf to be a Ravenclaw.  The only other houses he would go into, then, would be either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor.

Rubeus did not dare sit on the tiny stool.  He lowered his head and the Deputy Headmistress placed the Sorting Hat on his head.  He stood there for a moment then the hat shouted out:  "Gryffindor."  The table on the far right cheered loudly, stamping their feet, while the Hufflepuffs seemed relieved.  The boy took off the hat and gave it back to the herbology teacher and went to his table where he was greeted warmly.

"He won't last in here a year, I beatcha," said Darcy.

Tom nodded, along with all his other friends.

***

To my reviewers -

Liv - Oh, why should Lena have to go?  Is she worrying you that much?  I'm sure that most of the Death Eaters that went to Azkaban or that died instead of getting caught were all rather fond of Voldie too...  Do you really think that I should get rid of her?  *frowns*  She does have her uses...I promise...

Sabrina Black Snapeish - Rolling Stones?!  Anywho...glad you liked...and I'm glad that Lucius ran from the room, though you did say that he read the last chapter in an IM...and, like you said, glad he didn't get sick this time...

MayDancer27 - it doesn't matter if you're late on reviewing...your reviewing me at all makes me happy...^_^...and you may take Draco for all I care...I don't need him for anything...at least, right now I don't need him for anything...

RivanKnight - I'm glad you thought the mush was alright...but there's still more mush to come...so you are forewarned...and, yes, Salazar was rather ingenious to put the secret entrance in the girls' toilet...he was a cunning chap after all...right?


	18. Foreseeing Boredom

Chapter #18 – Foreseeing Boredom 

On the second day of classes, the Slytherin third years had all their new classes.  First was Care of Magical Creatures with the Gryffindors, which was taught by Professor Calhoun, a very lively, bob haired woman in her middle thirties who wore an outfit made almost entirely of dragon hide.  Their first class was just an overview of the different types of animals that lived in Great Britain, which they would be expanding on throughout the rest of the year.  Tom thought that he would rather enjoy the class since they would be getting to see some of the creatures up close during their discussion of them.

Once that class was over with, they had their normal classes before heading off to divination, which Crinis had decided to take with Tom to keep him from being bored in there and from being alone with three of the girls from their house.  Tom had been looking forward to this class since April, hoping their divination would help him locate his ancestor's hidden chamber.  They made their way to a lovely sunroom on the south side of the castle where they settled themselves into comfortable chairs, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun as it descended closer to the horizon.

Sitting in the largest chair of the room, which was positioned in good view of all the other chairs, was a somewhat elderly lady with her hair up in a tight bun.  Her robes were deep purple and were trimmed with gold.  She reminded Tom somewhat of a gypsy fortune teller, yet he knew she was not.  She was shuffling a deck of well-worn cards as she watched the few students gather into the room.  Once they were all there and seated, she stood gracefully and smiled at all the students.

"My name is Fortuna Orasi and I shall be teaching you about the art of divination, the greatest, though hardest to learn, of all magical arts.  It will be difficult at first and I do not expect you all to be proficient in the art."  She seemed to glide about the room, looking at the students whom all had the three books for her class with them.  She picked up one of Crinis' book and showed it to the class.  Its title was _Astrology and your Personality.  "For the first part of this year, we will be looking at one of the oldest means of divination.  The better you are at astronomy, the easier this part of the class will be for you."_

Professor Orasi set down that book and began to walk around the class.  "We should finish up with astrology before Christmas holiday and when we return we will begin to look at using tarot cards in foretelling the future."

As she walked around the room, explaining that they would learn the basics of symbology before the end of the school year in preparation for the next year's lessons, Tom leaned towards Crinis.  "This sounds like it's going to be *so* boring."

"We all warned you."

"But I was hoping for more…"

"Seeing what the future holds?"

"Yeah."

"We might get to that later, we have to cover the 'basics' first."

With a groan, Tom sat back up straight, looking at the professor as she continued talking about how they were going to look at the planetary and constellation positioning to determine what their personalities were really like.  She explained that this would need the use of the book to determine what the alignments all meant and where the stars and planets were at the moment of their birth.  She said that once all that was done, which would take about two weeks, they would move on to making their starcharts for the rest of that school year for each day.  The class nearly all groaned in dread of all the work that that would entail.

For the rest of the class, they went over the meaning of all the astrological signs and they all had to announce what their signs were for her to explain their general characteristics.  Tom was proclaimed to be a natural leader since he was a Leo.  Though he laughed, he could not help but think that she could be right.  He did always seem to have a way of getting people to do what he wanted and persuading people, maybe he did have it in him to be a leader…but of what?

When the class was over, reiterated what they were to start before their next class.  They had to draw a starchart of what they heavens looked like the moment they were born and she would check their progress.  They all filed out of the room, moaning about all the work that they were going to have to do for the class.  None of them had thought that the class would be that much work.

As soon as the weekend got there, Tom and Crinis started to work on their divination homework.  They cracked open their books for the first time and began to examine the extensive alignments and what they thought.  There were many charts that listed some of the meaning of major planetary alignments with other planets or with constellations.  They found their birthdates and what looked to see if there were important alignments then.

"I have a 'conjunction of Saturn in Libra', which means that," he flipped back to the page with the explanations on it, "I am 'balanced and grounded in my beliefs.'  Which is not true."

"Not yet.  Remember what she said," he began to imitate her, "'what these alignments say about you may not be accurate *now* for you are still young and you have not fully come into your true nature.'"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Let's see."  Tom looked at his.  "I have a 'conjunction of Mercury in Gemini' and a 'conjunction of Mars in Sagittarius.'"

"Mercury in Gemini means that you have a 'tendency to be boastful and very talkative' and Mars in Sagittarius means you have a 'violent nature.'"  Crinis looked up at him with a smirk.  "Interesting.  Fits your being a leader I guess, granted, a violent leader."

"It's a bunch of rubbish.  Boastful and violent, my arse."  He laughed forcibly.  "I am neither of those things."

"Yet," Crinis said with a smile, reinforcing what Tom had reminded him of earlier.

"I will *never* be violent, nor boastful."

"Never say never," his friend said somewhat teasingly.

"Let's just get this over and done with."

***

To my reviewers -

Liv – you only hate Lena because she has Tom?  *sigh of relief*  I thought you really hated her… but, yes, she does have her purposes…even if they are not present right now…glad you thought my intro of Hagrid was deserving of him…but I'm sure that's how the students would have honestly reacted…

Sabrina Black Snapeish – and you don't like Lena either…*frown*…that makes me sad…if you all really hate her that much, I can always kill her off…but then I'd have to do so much rewriting…

MayDancer27 – glad your weekend was good…Draco can never be the next dark lord…NEVER!!! *cackles evilly*…but, no, Voldie never has any kids in this story…he has his reasons too…

RivanKnight – yes…Hagrid is here too…why would he not be?  He is a key player in Tom's fifth year…gotta have his scapegoat…and the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes is because of the fact that Hagrid only got into the school because he coaxed the headmaster into letting him in…

Riddle Light – enough with the glomping…so how is it that your e-mail's not working?  I can't try and fix it if you don't tell me how it's broken…if you're talking about reading my newest chapters…then you'd better send the answers to those questions first…and if you'd stop being grounded sooo much, you wouldn't miss me!


	19. Events in the South

Chapter #19 – Events in the South 

As the new school year progressed, there was not really much that happened, but it was interesting when, not even a month into the term, the new student, Rubeus Hagrid, got into a fight with a group of students in the hall.  It would have been what most of the Slytherins were hoping for, but he was not expelled, even though he had sent some spells flying in the corridor and broken one of the boys' noses with his overly large knuckles.  Professor Dumbledore, head of Gryffindor House, got him out of trouble with the headmaster.  The transfiguration professor seemed to like the boy more than he did any other of his students which was causing some tension among his fellows.

But that was not the end to it for, somehow, the huge Gryffindor had smuggled a griffin, which he had named Godric after his house's founder, into his room and was caught.  He swore that his "little tyke" would not do any damage to anything but even Dumbledore knew it was better to remove the creature and called Professor Calhoun up to take the juvenile beast off to a nearby area that kept magical creatures (which was believed to be where Rubeus had gotten his from in the first place).  And in the end, Dumbledore only gave the boy three nights' detention for doing this, not seeming to even be phased by his very odd behavior.

All through the first two month of term there were minor articles about the happenings in the Muggle world in the _Daily Prophet but they were buried in the paper and were short pieces.  Tom always read whatever was written just to keep informed.  For most of the summer there had been a battle between the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe but, during October, there were bombings in southern England, especially in and around London.  But one morning in mid-November the paper did not come to any of the students, and the next day they found out why in a very short edition of the __Daily Prophet._

Much of Wizarding London Bombed

It came as a major shock to the Ministry when bombs were dropped on many major wizarding areas of London two nights ago.  These bombs were magicked with curses that are being looked into by the Ministry and caused mass destruction in Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic.  This destruction is traceable back to the dark wizard calling himself Grindelwald, who is assisting Adolf Hitler in his quest to take over all of Europe.

All of the shops in Diagon Alley have been temporarily moved to Hogsmeade so they can continue serving the wizards of Britain.  The Ministry is also relocating to a safer, undisclosed location.  We here at the _Daily Prophet_ are preparing to also change our offices but will still be getting your paper to you everyday.

"This _has_ gotten serious," Nathan said.

"I told you," Rex nearly shouted, "there's a hidden agenda behind his helping the Muggle."

"And you think you've figured it out," Darcy asked, a little disbelief in his voice.

"It says it here, almost clearly.  'Who is *assisting* Adolf Hitler in his quest to take over all of Europe.'  It's just that simple.  Have the Muggle subdue all the other Muggles, cause disorder in the wizarding communities throughout the countries he's taking over, get rid of the Muggle when it's all done, and insert himself as the leader of all Europe."  Rex looked at the newspaper.  "It's happened like this before a few times.  The most famous incident was the dark wizard…er…Erebos of Skyros, who helped that Roman Muggle who conquered nearly all of Europe with his armies…"

"Julius Caesar," Lena said, standing by Tom.

"A dark wizard helped him," Tom asked, surprised by that fact.

"It was in one of the books Binns told us about in History of Magic."

Tom rolled his eyes.  "Well, excuse me for not having read it, Miss Bookworm."

Lena raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice.  She watched him as he groaned and buried his face into his hands.  She knew that there were several things getting to him, especially the amount of work he had for divination, but she said nothing as she turned to one of the seventh year boys.  "Malfoy, my father sent this for you."

The blonde haired prefect looked at her strangely.  He stood up, grabbed the letter, then settled back down.  He read his letter rather quickly then looked back up at Lena with a somewhat shocked look.  She nodded.

"Write back and tell them I said 'yes' to all of it."

"Not a problem," she said as she looked briefly at Tom before going back to her seat at her house table, where Taliesin sat waiting for a response to her father.

"What was that about, Aureus," one of the young man's friends asked.

"Just a little something."

"A little something?!"  Another friend scoffed.  "Like I believe that."

"It's nothing, really."

His friends did not believe him at all but did not ask him about it any further.

"Are you alright, Tom," Crinis asked, worried because Tom still had his face in his hands and because he had been acting peculiar for about a month now.

"Yes, I'm alright."  He looked over to Lena.  "I swear that Professor Orasi is going to drive me insane.  All that senseless homework."

"You're the one that was idiot enough to take the class after we all told you not to."  Nathan played with his scrambled eggs.  "Don't know why Crinis is taking the class with you."

"Most of the girls are in that class."  He smiled down to one of the girls in their year he fancied.  "But I'm in there mainly to hear what craziness she can come up with."

Tom laughed, fully agreeing with Crinis over the matter.  He looked back over at Lena, who was looking at him with a slightly worried expression.  She knew it was more than just divination that was bothering him.  Turning back to his breakfast, he sighed.  He felt even further away from finding the Chamber of Secrets than he had when he had first learned of the legend.  And yet, he felt as though he knew where it was, as though by instinct, but he could not figure out where it was.

The rest of the day, Tom thought about what had happened that morning at breakfast between Lena and the prefect from his house.  He had never seen them talk to each other before but they apparently knew each other, and her father had to know him as well to have sent a letter to him.  But why had he sent it to Aureus through Lena?  He found it rather strange.  He finally shrugged it off during Defense against the Dark Arts when they started learning new countercurses.

At dinner, though, his question resurfaced when he saw Darcy talking to Malfoy about something.  He tried to ask Darcy what was going on, but he just smirked and said nothing, leaving Tom in the dark.  Yet, as he went to bed, he thought back over everything.  Darcy and Lena seemed well informed about what was going on with the Dark Wizard and he felt that this had something to do with that.  But what it was he could not think of.

***

To my reviewers –

MayDancer27 – Tom's not evil yet?  *Gets needle with black fluid in it*…I'll just have to inject him with some then…*Tom runs off*…come on…it won't hurt much…*evil grin*…*wonders who all the people you mentioned are*…and I could certainly tell you were hyper…sorry you did make Chatelaines but there's no need to die over it…and Voldie shall smite your Draco if he puts one more toe out of line…*glares at Draco*…

Riddle Light – I am not your bloody mother so don't call me mum!  *Grumbles*…*huggles you tightly*…thank you so much for sending me my lost chapters that you had…I love you sooo much…


	20. Secret Meeting

Chapter #20 - Secret Meeting  
  
Over the next few days, Tom noticed that Lena was talking a lot more to Darcy and a few times she spoke to Aureus. He really wanted to ask them what was going on, but never did. He was too busy with other things anyway...and it had nothing to do with his searching for the Chamber because with all the homework he had had to do for Orasi, Tom had had no time to go to the library to start his search for the Chamber of Secrets again, though Lena had still been going. Every weekend she would let him know if she had found anything that seemed important but he was not interested. He had a feeling he would never find it and knew he had to focus on his schoolwork any way.  
  
Everyday there was more news on the bombings, letting people know if and where there had been more destruction. There had been several wizarding homes that had been hit, some of which were the homes of students at the school. The damage, though, in Diagon Alley and at the Ministry of Magic was already being repaired so they could reopen as soon as possible.  
  
Soon classes were over and the holiday had begun with a trip to Hogsmeade for all the older students, which Tom and Lena happily went on. Tom had finally been able to start buying presents for his friends over the summer (Rex's birthday had been in late June) and he planned to get everyone a present this year for Christmas since he had both the money and the means to get the presents finally.  
  
Lena went down to Hogsmeade with Tom and his friends. They talked about stuff they hoped to get from their parents for Christmas and what they planned to do over their break. Tom did not know what he planned to do, honestly. He still did not really feel like going to the library for research and Lena seemed to know this.  
  
Once they were in Hogsmeade, Lena let go of Tom's hand and smiled. "I have to run and meet my father. I don't know how long I'll be, but I will be back by two. Would you be at Honeydukes about that time?"  
  
"Couldn't I go meet your father?"  
  
"No." She said it rather suddenly and looked somewhat uncomfortable with the look that Tom gave her. "It's just that...er...you see...um..."  
  
"Go on."  
  
With a relieved sigh, she smiled at him again and let go of his hand. "I'll see you this afternoon."  
  
He watched her as she hurried off, only somewhat surprised that she met Aureus in front of the post office. What surprised them more was that they waited for Professor Sidus, the head of Slytherin House, to come out of the post office. He sighed, wondering what they were all really up to. He watched as they hurried off down the street towards the Three Broomsticks. He headed to Honeydukes with Crinis and Rex. He saw Darcy walk off towards the tavern as well. He figured as much.  
  
For the rest of the morning, he milled around the town, going to all the shops to get the presents for all his friends. He even let Crinis pick out what he wanted so he was sure he would like it. It was not long after one o'clock when he headed back to Honeydukes and looked around again. He was sure that she would be there some time or other.  
  
Lena came into the candy shop not much later with three Slytherins, Aureus and Darcy among them, and another Ravenclaw he did not know. She came over to him after she said good-bye her three companions and smiled at Tom. "I'm glad you're already here."  
  
"So what was that all about?"  
  
"Our parents just all wanted to talk to us."  
  
"Really? About what? It must have been important for all of you to have gone at once. And for Professor Sidus to have gone too."  
  
"Just a little something," she said with a smile, knowing that he knew Aureus and Darcy had been heard saying that each time they were asked what was going on.  
  
Tom nodded slowly, not really believing her, just as he had not believed Darcy when he always said it.  
  
***  
  
It was not too much farther into the Christmas holiday when Tom felt a sudden urge to start his search again, which he was sure had stemmed from the fact that Professor Orasi had not assigned them any homework over the holiday. At dinner on the last night of classes, he told this to Lena. He also apologized for the way he had been lately.  
  
The first day of their holiday they were back in the Restricted Section going through the books, trying to find something new to help them locate the Chamber. They pulled down every book they thought would have even the slightest amount of information on Salazar or the Chamber but they were running low on possibilities. This fact was about to drive Tom crazy. He did not like running out of options.  
  
"Well," Lena rested her forehead on her hands, elbows on the table, "what we could do is go do a general search of the castle."  
  
"Where would we start, though? How would we know what we found if we found anything? How would we get in if we did?" Tom was frustrated, feeling like giving up again. "We've checked where they thought they might be..."  
  
"I know, but we need to try something."  
  
With a sigh, he nodded. "Alright."  
  
"I mean they *did* all check the entire castle themselves. Why shouldn't we as well?"  
  
"And we have the cloak, so we could search anytime we wanted to."  
  
"Let's go look at some of the charms books they have in the main library to find some revealing spells and charms for opening things and all."  
  
The two of them gathered together all their notes they had made in the past two years and left the Restricted Section. They smiled at Madam Beech and went off to start looking for the spellbooks they needed from the normal part of the library. Finding them, they began the second phase of their search for the Chamber of Secrets.  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Liv - I always try to make my stories easy to read...if it doesn't flow well, I try and change it...but sometimes there are some things that just don't seem changeable...I've some later chapters in this story that just seem so blocky...and believe me...after losing nearly half of my story on the 12th and not giving up to fall into the crying stuper I wanted to for the rest of summer, yeah...you can be sure that I'll be finishing this story...  
  
RivanKnight - yes...I thought it would be interesting to have a prediction like that...one that he would think was bull and yet it would be true...he's taking divination because he hopes that it will teach him something to help him find the Chamber...sorry he's not evil yet...and I don't think that there will be bloodshed...Tom doesn't do blood...he does killing with other means...you know...the Killing Curse?  
  
MayDancer27 - last chapter was *funny*? A whip? *looks worried*...um...I don't think I want to know...and...yes...Tom does have issues...this is a story about a boy with issues...and he becomes a man with much hatred in him...hmmm...sounds like Anakin in Star Wars...and...I hope I updated soon enough...^_^  
  
***  
  
Hello?! ^_^ It's me again with my asking for reviews...please review me and let me know what you think...it really means a lot to me... 


	21. What the Cards Say

Chapter #21 - What the Cards Say...  
  
For the rest of their Christmas holiday, Tom and Lena studied all the charm books they could get their hands on. They learned a lot of new spells that would come in handy when they started to search the castle. They would soon be ready to start their search again. Both of them were starting to feel anxious about getting back to it.  
  
Right before the new term started, there was a bit of chaos from the first year boys' dormitory in Gryffindor house. It seemed that, again, Rubeus had gotten another pet. This time it was a niffler he had named Phil, which he had gotten for Christmas. Though they were rather placid and adorable creatures, they were not good as house pets. It seemed that the niffler, once left alone in the room, had gone about searching for all the shiny objects that had been hidden from it by Rubeus' roommates. It ended up destroying much of the room. Though Dumbledore tried to get the boy out of trouble, yet again, the headmaster insisted on his having a week of detentions and forbade him from having another pet. He also had to write his father and ask for the money to pay for his roommates' new uniforms and books, which Rubeus did not like having to do since his father did not have much money.  
  
Classes soon started again and Tom and Lena had to stop their studies to get back to their schoolwork. In Tom's case, though, he would have preferred to have stayed in the library studying than having to start more work for Professor Orasi, but this term turned out to not be as bad as the previous one since all they had to do was study the tarot and their meanings the first few weeks then they began to work with them, which meant that they need to get their own set of cards.  
  
When they had finished their study of the tarot and their meaning, Professor Orasi told them that they would have her read their cards that day so they could see how a full interpretation was given. Tom was third, right in the middle. When he sat in the chair opposite her, she was shuffling her cards, like she seemed to always be doing, even when she was in the Great Hall before meals. She placed the cards on the table and told him to cut the deck three times, shuffling after each cut. He did so then slid them back to her.  
  
The first card that was placed was the "10 of Swords" card. "Interesting first card." She placed down the second on top of it, though perpendicular. It was the "6 of Swords." She looked up at Tom. "You will go through several hardships but it looks like you'll be successful in getting what you want."  
  
Tom looked only mildly interested.  
  
The elderly lady placed down the third card. It was the "Lovers" card. She said nothing as she looked at the card strangely, pulling the next card off the top of the deck. That one was the "Queen of Swords" card. She drew another card, still saying nothing. The "Chariot" card appeared.  
  
"This is strange. I've not had a reading like this since..."  
  
Professor Orasi continued, flipping over the next card. It was the "Sorcerer." She drew another.the "Knight of Wands." She sat back, stopping five cards short of where she had stopped with the previous two students. She set the tarot cards on the table, looking at Tom, studying him for a moment.  
  
"Is there anything the matter, Professor?"  
  
Propping her elbows on the table's edge, she rested her chin on her folded hands. "Your cards interest me, Mr. Riddle, very much so. And, yet, I am also very disturbed for some reason. I am fighting the urge to end this reading and go on to Miss Danes."  
  
Yet, before Tom could ask her why, she had suddenly picked up her cards again and quickly finished placing them down. The next five cards were the "8 of Cups," "5 of Wands," "Tower," "Knight of Pentacles," and "Darkness" cards. She then set her deck on the table again and leaned back in her chair, looking from Tom to the spread, her hands folded in front of her mouth.  
  
"Professor?"  
  
Leaning forward slightly, she gestured over the spread with her hand. "You know what each of these positions represent, correct?"  
  
Tom knew very well. He had studied this particular layout just that morning at breakfast. He pointed to each of the cards as he said what their significance was. "The first and second cards placed are the destiny cards. This is the guidance card, and that the relationship one." Tom looked at those two cards and was shocked for a moment, thinking they were in the wrong positions. He then continued. "This one represents learning. This one's my personality card." He sighed. This was taking too long, he just started pointing. "Hidden influence, attitude, philosophy, reputation, travel, and life goal."  
  
As he explained the meanings for each of the positions, he began to understand why she had dismissed the rest of the class. His reading did look rather strange, even to him, especially the last card. He understood why some of the cards were in the places they were, but not others. He wanted to hear *her* explanation of the cards, though, since she had been doing this *far* longer than he had.  
  
"Do you understand what I meant when I said that it is very interesting but somewhat disturbing?"  
  
The teenager nodded slightly.  
  
The professor sat up properly in her chair and began to go over the cards. "Your destiny, Mr. Riddle, is that you will go through many hardships. And, though, according to other cards in the spread, you might be successful for a time, you will ultimately have a very painful defeat or betrayal. You have very interesting associations in your future, but these will ultimately lead to your pain and despair. If you want to avoid these things, you need to release any fears or negative thoughts you may have.  
  
"Now, your guide along the path you are taking is *apparently* your lover or a female very close to you." She looked at him with a slight air of question. Though that card could also mean just a partnership, as soon as she had seen it she had known that it was not that. But he was certainly too young to have a lover and it seemed in her mind to be more of an immediate thing than something farther into the future. "A soulmate, perhaps, but it is not necessarily that. You need to understand that her guidance will help you, but stress and the hardships you encounter will take their toll if you do not have a strong and firm foundation in your relationship. This woman," she tapped the next card, "is very intelligent and a great counsel for you. But be careful, she can be spiteful if angered. But this card also represents your need to get in touch with your gentler side or the consequences will not be good.  
  
"You will travel for you learning after you leave Hogwarts. You will study hard and long to achieve whatever goals you have. All the time and energy you put into this will pay off in the end. You will become the master of that which you seek. The power you seek shall be found."  
  
For a long time she looked at him, the room completely silent. She wanted what she had just said to sink in before she continued. "Your personality...you are quite the typical Slytherin. Cunning and ambitious. But you're also a smooth talker. Things are not what they seem with you. And when you go out to start this study of yours," she pointed back to the Chariot card, "you will most certainly cement your destiny because of this.  
  
"Now, the hidden influences driving you on," she picked up the card, examining it, as though expecting it to tell her, "comes from some unexpected source. This source has many brilliant ideas, but he will not live to see them to fruition. This person's loyalties are questionable. Trusting him may be unwise. This also shows that there are things occurring in your life that are breaking down any barriers to reaching your desires, your goals. This person that is to influence you from the shadows will give you great encouragement.  
  
"Your attitude, or stance," she also picked up this card because it was an even more unusual card to be in that position than the previous card had been and she was unsure as to how to interpret it properly, "seems to be a negative one. You are indecisive and often irrational. You're unbalanced. All these things will cause problems. There are risks that will not be worth taking, but because of your irrational nature, you'll just walk blindly forward."  
  
The professor set down that card and looked to the next card. "Reform is your philosophy, but there are events that will bring this belief down that are beyond your control. Difficulties and tension fill your life. Though you feel everything may be under your control, it is not. These things prevent your true creativity from being shown. Change what you believe or you will be your own downfall, Mr. Riddle.  
  
"The reputation you will gain for yourself," she paused, knowing this was going to sound strange because it too was an odd card to have in the position, "is one based in ending some cycle. You will be known for creating chaos if you chose to not be careful with your actions.  
  
"In your travels, in your journey of knowledge," she tapped the Chariot card, "you will discover not only the knowledge you seek, but you will become the master of your destiny. This relates back to your relationship and guidance," she tapped the Lovers card then the Queen of Swords, "from a dark-haired woman."  
  
Again, Professor Orasi paused. The room was still silent as she mused over the last card. This was the "life goal" card, which happened to be the "Darkness" card in his case. This was something she had never seen happen before in any reading she had done. This, more than anything, scared her about the boy sitting across from her. "Darkness...it shows that in your life, you do not seek what you should. You seek out power or wealth or other earthly possessions or glory. You are not following a positive path, Mr. Riddle. And if circumstances were different you would not be on this path. But this path, whatever it is, seems to be the one you are supposed to be on."  
  
The look she have him was one of uncertainty and worry. "You need to make a choice now, Mr. Riddle. Other cards in this spread indicate it as well. The Queen of Swords, the 8 of Cups, the 5 of Wands, and the Tower. Be decisive and rational so you can better see what lies ahead. Reach for the gentler nature residing in you. Grow beyond your destructive path these cards say you're follow. It will all only lead to upsets and the hardships I have seen here. Unless you do these things, you will not find happiness. You are trapped, Mr. Riddle. Free yourself from whatever it is you have enslaved yourself to."  
  
Tom looked at her utterly shocked. There was no way a word of it could have been true. He scowled at her slightly, not caring she saw the look. He stood and strode back to his normal seat while the next student went to sit in the chair he had vacated. He watched the old woman the rest of the class, thinking she was completely crazy. The cards were wrong. All this divination stuff was fake and he would not believe any of it.  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Liv - what's going on with Lena? Well, I can't tell you that...it'll ruin other things that are to come...but it gets figured out by Tom within the next few chapters...Tom does still apologize...he's not his fully evil self yet...and I'm sure that everyone keeps some secrets from Tom...I hope he turns evil for you soon...I hate that you don't think he's evil enough yet...  
  
MayDancer27 - long post...but, hey...that's okay...^_~...Tom...cry? Hmm...never thought of him crying...he *could*...you never know...and you needn't worry about me not posting for a while...I always make sure I have plenty of chapters to post many times before I might run out...I like updating regularly and always fear writer's block so I've always done that...I go for the bad guys...but I prefer them be *mine* than with someone else...  
  
RivanKnight - a curious chapter? Hmm...but I can't tell you about the meeting....that's why it's secret...so *puts finger to mouth* shhh...and you're peering into tea leaves had decent timing...*points up to new chapter above*...see...tarot cards...and I hope great things will happen soon too...  
  
Riddle Light - you have 50 chapters of what story?  
  
***  
  
Please review me and let me know what you think... 


	22. Deep in the Dungeons

A/N : alrighty all you readers…this chapter may contain some boarderline "R" rating things…they're at the very end and I'll mark the beginning of it with a astrik (*)… Chapter #22 – Deep in the Dungeons 

As the year wore on, the bombings continued to the south.  There were no more bombings at wizarding places, though, for the Ministry had succeeded at guarding Diagon Alley and many wizarding homes to the magic being used by Grindelwald.  But this magic did not help when a bomb was dropped on the central part of King's Cross Station.  There was no damage done to Platform 9 ¾ but there was doubt on the part of the Ministry that the students would be going to and from the school until the Muggle part of the train station was repaired, which was most likely going to be after the war had ended.

In May, the number of night bombings dropped dramatically as Germany turned its forces towards Russia, with whom they had created a treaty of non-aggression, which Tom remember very well since there had been much talk of before he had last been at the orphanage.  The bombings did not stop, though, but it was giving both the Muggles and Ministry the time they needed to catch their breath.

Soon summer was upon the school and the students reveled in their freedom once again, even if they were still stuck at school.  They all got to go to Hogsmeade on the first weekend of the summer holiday but Tom and Lena did not go.  They went to the library and started looking in some of the spellbooks that were in the Restricted Section.  They were glad that Madam Beech trusted them enough now to let them know the spell to get the books down themselves.  That meant that she need not know what they were studying.

After three more weeks of spending everyday in the library researching, they believed that they were ready to start looking again.  Early one morning, they met in a hidden corridor that they had found with the help of _Hogwarts Castle: An Incomplete Survey_ to start their new, and very thorough, search of the castle.  They vanished under the Invisibility Cloak together then, after a long kiss, they hurried off.

They started their search of the dungeons, being the more likely place that Salazar would have hidden the entrance to the Chamber since his house *was* in the dungeons.  They checked as many as they could, checking the secret passages that were listed in the book, which they had kept checked out nearly the entire time since they had found it.  They also used some to of the new spells they had learned that would reveal or open any secret passages that might have still been missed.

Finding nothing that day, they continued the next day, still finding nothing.  They were not discouraged, though, and planned to keep looking the next weekend since there was still plenty of dungeon left.  But soon they were nearing the end.  Of two levels of dungeons, they had not found the entrance to the Chamber.  In the end, they went down to the deepest part of the dungeon, which had, at times, been the private chambers of several heads of Slytherin.

When they got down to the room they found it was completely empty and a bit dingy since Professor Sidus had his own private chambers in the Astronomy Tower.  Tom tossed off the cloak and looked around, very disappointed.  He rolled off several of the revealing spells he had learned but nothing happened.  He sighed and looked at Lena, who had the cloak now folded over one of her arms, the book in her other hand.

"Well, this is the last part of the dungeons."  Lena looked at the book, reading the information that was in it on the dungeons and all the secrets they were known to hold.  After a moment she looked up at Tom.  "I guess he didn't put it down here, though, like you said, it would have made the most sense."

"Yeah."  Tom leaned against the wall, not worried he might get his robes dirty.  "What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know."  She sighed.  "Want to go start searching the first floor?"

The teenage boy shook his head.

"Want to go to the kitchens and get some lunch," she asked, checking her watch and seeing that it was past midafternoon.

"Not hungry yet."

Lena walked to him and leaned onto him so she would not get her clothes dirty.  She sighed again then smiled when Tom wrapped his arms around her.  "All this searching and studying has worn me out."

"Me too, but I have a feeling that I'm getting closer to finding it now."

"Hmm."  She buried her nose into his neck, closing her eyes.  "I will help you until we find it, too."

"I'm sure you will.  You've helped me this far."

"I always want to help you," she said, smiling into his neck.

*Tom lifted her chin and kissed her suddenly.  After a moment of his lips being on hers softly, they deepened the kiss.  Their hands began to roam over each other's body in the darkness.  Tom spun her into the wall, breaking their kiss and put his hands on either side of her head.  He was breathing fast as he looked at her.  "Lena…"

"You know I am yours to do with as you wish," she said quietly, knowing what he was thinking…what he wanted.

That was all he needed before he kissed her again, his tongue plunging into her mouth.  They wrapped their arms around each other and deepened their kiss more.  They seemed to slide to the dungeon floor, Tom nearly lying on top of Lena.  When their lips parted, they looked at each other, almost hungrily.

"You do not think we are too young, Tom?"

"No."  He ran his hands over her shirt, looking at her beneath him.  "I wanted you over Christmas holiday when we were searching but I could not bring myself to take you then.  I don't think I can last much longer now, though."

Lena shivered, the cold stone penetrating through her clothes.  "It's cold down here."

"Then we won't undress."  He leaned over her, kissing her neck as he ran his hand up her skirt.  "Is that alright with you?"

"Yes."  She closed her eyes as his hand touched her thighs, taking a shuddering breath as they went farther up.  "Tom…"

The Slytherin smiled when she moaned as his fingers reached her more *sensitive* areas.  But he could not keep up his teasings much longer.  He needed to do more.  He took his hand away, much to her displeasure, but he pulled her onto his lap, holding her close.  She liked being close to him, she was much warmer now.  He kissed her neck again then her chin.  For a moment they looked into each other's eyes with a fiery passion before they kissed again, tongues back in each other's mouth.

After that everything seemed to turn into a blissful blur for the both of them.  When they walked out of the dungeons over an hour later, they were once again covered with the Invisibility Cloak and, luckily, not missing any articles of clothing.  They hurried up to the Entrance Hall where students were gathering for dinner and eased by to go up the stairs to head towards their hidden meeting spot on the second floor, hid the Cloak, then they headed back to the Great Hall.  As he sat down at his table by his friends, whom, like usual, did not ask about his absence that afternoon, he could not help but think that perhaps Professor Orasi had been right when she had read his cards.  Maybe it was Lena who was the woman that was to be so helpful to him.  Though what other woman could it be?

***

To my reviewers – 

Liv – well…I wanted to have the full reading in the story…of course Tom would be shocked…wouldn't you be shocked in his position…^_~

MayDancer27 – it's always good to be ahead in the chapter writing…then your readers won't ever be disappointed…hopefully…well…Tremaine's not a "bad guy" if he only has a girlfriend…I like *villians*…you know…like Tom…^_^…*with a Freud-like accent*…hmm…veti interesting…tell me about why you need "mental help"…

Riddle Light – glad you think that my chapter was good…makes me happy to think it's good…hope you'll keep liking it too…

***

I'd love more reviews…^_^…so review me please…


	23. Discussion of Plans

Chapter #23 – Discussion of Plans 

Summer was ending all too quickly for them.  They had hardly finished searching the second floor when the end of August was suddenly upon them.  They resigned to searching through books again to try and discover anything new but classes weighed them down with work again and they were only able to do their research on weekends when they had plenty of time to devote to the search.

Now that they were in their fourth year of study, their lessons were getting more intense and advanced.  There was much talk of their OWLS, which would occur at the end of the next school year before they took their more specialized classes their sixth and seventh years.  Even though the exams were nearly two years away, they required a lot of studying and the professors wanted to be sure they were well prepared.

The first day of Herbology, though, the Slytherin girls started at their old teasings of Lena again.  They had stopped it for a while after Professor Madril and Professor Sidus had had a talk with them, but with Tom and Lena having suddenly become much closer, they knew something was up, even if no one else sensed it.  Lena just had to do her best to ignore them, though she had found out, through Nathan, that it was more of teasing her for liking the halfblood.  And she hated that more than anything.  If they only knew his ancestry.

It was not long into the school year before everyone was talking about Hagrid's newest "pets."  He had apparently attempted to raise "werewolf cubs" under his bed *in* his dormitory, against the restriction that the headmaster had put on him to not have more pets.  Professor Calhoun, though, assured the scared students that werewolves did not have cubs but she gathered them and returned them to the Forbidden Forest before the full moon anyway.  Many students were still sure this would get him expelled after everything else but Professor Dumbledore got him out of trouble again, which even surprised most of the Gryffindors.  Again he was told he could not have any more pets and was restricted to the castle for a month with detentions.

One night not far into October, while Tom was reading one of the books he had gotten out of the Restricted Section, Crinis walked to the edge of his bed and looked at the title on the spine, which was readily visible: _Finding the Lost: Charms to Locate all Things Lost_.  He stared at it puzzled for a few minutes.  He then looked at Tom, meeting his curious gaze.

"What are you reading *that* for?"

"It's research."

"Research?"  He could not think of anything Tom needed a book like that for in their classes so his mind immediately went to another thing.  "Like what you've been doing the past two and a half years in the library with Lena?"

"Yes.  That exact research."

"Really?"  He took the book from Tom and started flipping through the book.  "What have you been researching anyway?  You've never talked about it much.  You've hardly ever said much of anything to us, actually."

"Do you *really* want to know," Tom asked, glaring at his best friend, who lost the page he had been studying a spell from.  He was not much in the mood at the moment to tell them, though.

"Yes.  It's been bugging me for a while."

Tom sat up, smirking slightly.  "You want me to tell you?"

"Yes!"

The other three boys looked around to them, wondering what was going on.

"Sit, then."

Crinis sat back on his bed after he handed the book back to Tom.  His ears were completely open.  He had been wanting to for years what Tom had been doing with that Ravenclaw so much.  He would finally find out.  He looked at the rest of their roommates, seeing them also sitting attentively, also wanting to hear.

"My plans?  My thoughts?"  His smirk remained as he flipped through the book and found his spot again.  He marked it then set it aside.  "Very well, I'll let you in on everything…all my *secrets*.  I've hardly told you all anything, after all, and you *are* my friends, aren't you?  I guess it would only be fair for me to tell you all since you are the first friends I've ever had.  I will start at the beginning…our first year.

"You all know when I came here I knew nothing of who I was and what I was, and neither did any of you, at first.  Because of you," he pointed to Nathan, "I learned about my mum.  I felt that this could be where my family was.  I had long wanted a family too, but I was deprived of it by my bastard, *Muggle* father.  I knew the school would be far better than that horrid Muggle orphanage where I had grown up at.  Then, a few months later, after having searched since our arrival, Lena found out more about my mother's relatives.  She had discovered that I, the half-blood that I am, was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin."

All the other teenage boys were shocked by this.  Even though they had been rooming together for three years, they had never heard his say anything about his ancestry.  They wondered why he had not said anything either.  They continued listening, wanting to hear more.

"I wanted to know more about my ancestors, naturally…as much as I could learn.  For Christmas that year," he got up and went to his trunk, pulling out the book of genealogy, "Lena gave me this book, which has the great history of the Slytherin family, with much information on Salazar and other important members of the family."  He handed the book to Crinis who was grabbing at it like a child that wanted a toy.  "But there is one thing in there, near the end of the piece on the founder of our great house, that sparked the search that I have been on since that time.  This was the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."

"I know that story," Darcy blurted out.

Tom raised an eyebrow at him, his look somewhere between annoyed at his interruption and interested at what he might know on the matter.  Nathan was also nodding, acknowledging he also knew about it.  He would ask them later about it.  For now he would continue, though.

"I started my search for the Chamber after that.  My *plans*," he hissed slightly, glaring at Crinis, whom he knew wanted to hear this the most and his roommate stopped looking through the book to listen more closely, "involve opening the Chamber and using the creature within it to do that which Salazar himself could not accomplish because of Gryffindor's interference – rid this school of Mudbloods."

"That's a hefty goal."  Crinis looked at him, still interested in hearing more but worried this might not work.  He was not at all shocked by Tom's plans, though.  He had no problem in getting rid of Mudbloods.  He set the book aside.  "I mean…if you're caught…"

"I will worry with that when it comes."  He looked at Crinis, a slight hint of red in his eyes which no one really saw.  He went back to his explanation.  "My plan is to do what Slytherin wanted his heir to do, for I am the last of his heirs, it seems.  It is my duty to finish what he started.  Once I have cleansed the school, I plan to use that creatures to also kill all those that have made my life hell.  All the Muggles that I hate…most especially my father.  Then my life shall be rid of the thing that caused me the most pain.  And all my ties to the Muggles will be gone."

A truly evil smirk came to his face as he thought again of how he would make those at the orphanage suffer.  He closed his eyes, imagining their screams of terror.  Yes, that would be a great day…a great day.  If only he knew *when* that day would be.

Crinis stared at him in disbelief.  "You're serious, aren't you…"

"Why would I not be?"

All of his friends looked between each other in utter shock.  Though they did not think it was such a bad idea to get rid of the Mudbloods at the school, they did not think that it would be safe.  And taking whatever creature it was that was already in the Chamber out beyond the castle…

"And you preferred a *Ravenclaw* helping you all this time instead of asking one of us," Nathan asked, rubbing his purring cat.

Darcy seemed to take more insult to the comment than Tom and burst out: "Don't talk about Lena that way, you…"

"McNair," Tom's voice held an air of command and irritation, which effectively silenced Darcy, "there is not need to argue about it.  I have my reasons."

Everyone was silent again, having never heard Tom's voice quite like that.

"Nat, in answer to your question, I trust Lena, far *more* than I trust *any* Slytherin – past, present, or future.  She offered her assistance and I have used her to help me find everything I have thus far.  If it were not for her I would not even know my ancestry…but she researched it for me, without my asking her to do so.  I would most likely have never found out about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets either if it were not for the book her father found for her at her request.  So do *not* question my choice of using Lena in my search instead of asking any of you."

Lestrange seemed nearly unfazed by what Tom had said and simply nodded, having gotten his answer.  He went back to giving his feline his full attention, scratching her belly and neck, not paying any more attention to those around him, even though the rest of the boys in the room were looking at Tom, somewhat shocked by the authority he presented.  Crinis was definitely thinking that Professor Orasi was right about his having it in him to be a great and powerful leader.

"So, what else do you have planned to do?  I know that can't be it."  Crinis was extremely interested in hearing more.  "Tell all."

Tom smiled at his best friend, who was lying on his stomach, feet in the air like a child waiting for a story.  "You wish to hear my thoughts?"

"All of them," he grinned.

After that, Tom told his blonde haired roommate about the plans he had begun to think of for after he left Hogwarts.   Tom was still not sure of everything that would happen after his seven years at the school were up, his main concern at that moment was finding the Chamber.  Crinis listened until he was too tired to stay awake any longer, which was well after midnight.  Now, with all the other boys asleep, Tom lay awake to think more about it all.  He had finally told his roommates.  Perhaps they could come in handy too as the days progressed…as his plans came into full bloom.

*********

To my reviewer – 

Liv – no…I will not tell Tom anything…Lena is his and it'll stay that way…so :-P on you…^_~…Lena's too smart to get lost in her common room…and thanks for loving my story so much…*huggle*…

MayDaner27 – why not mute your comp?  That gets rid of *all* sounds then…you seem to lead a much more interesting life than I…and I envy that…Tom's smooth…*rereads chapter*…if you say so…and no cinnamon rolls…maybe later in part three…*imagines Dumbledore with cinnamon roll*…*giggles*…

RivanKnight – bloody brilliant, eh?  Thanks…^_^  So why was the tarot so interesting?

*********

*Twirls around*…reviews, reviews…I love reviews…*giggles*…


	24. The Creation of the Name

Chapter #24 – The Creation of the Name 

After telling his roommates, Tom suddenly had the urge to start delving into the Dark Arts more.  Though he still kept his eyes open for any more information on the Chamber of Secrets, he was finding himself pulling down more and more books on the Dark Arts.  He was very happy at that point that Madam Beech had taught them the spell to get down the books in the Restricted Section.  If she knew what he was studying now…

The middle of October, an article in the _Daily Prophet_ announced the reopening of Diagon Alley ahead of schedule.  It said, though, that due to the bad road and rail conditions, Hogsmeade would continue to have all the needed things for the students until the Muggle transportation systems were fixed.  Tom thought it was rather stupid to be waiting on the Muggles, though, and thought it would be much better to be able to go to Diagon Alley for his school things.

The end of the month was closing in, but class work seemed to be bogging the students down.  Tom's search for any knowledge was being hampered, but he would manage.  He had been in this situation before, and he knew that school work came first anyway.  He still had time to find the Chamber of Secrets.  He knew he was getting closer and closer, so there was little need for him to worry about being slowed in his search by a little school work.

One afternoon, in the middle of class, though, Tom had had enough of his classes, but that was the feeling he always tended to get when he was in *this* class.  He hated History of Magic the most of all his classes, yet, it was not a hard class since he had read ahead but it was extremely boring to sit listening to Binns.  He looked down at his paper, which had nothing written on it.  The class was nearly over and he had not taken any notes.  He glanced at Crinis and Darcy to his right and both were sleeping.  He turned to Rex, seeing him listening as best he could since he needed to make a good grade in this class for once.  Nathan was sitting a few seats off, flirting with his girlfriend, Sylvia.

Turning back to his blank paper, he sighed.  He inked his quill for the first time that class and simply wrote his full name down.  He tried for his best penmanship but it did not to work.  His last name, which seemed to always give him issues since he hated it so much, was not as nice as the rest of his name.  He looked at it, then saw something jump out at him for the first time, since his middle and last name were so closely written together and the "i" was hardly noticeable.  He saw the word "lord."  He straightened up and, without really understanding why he was doing it, wrote down the word he saw there and then crossed out the last two letters of his middle name and the first and third letters of his last name.

"This is…"  He thought for a moment, remembering all the times he had complained about hating his name, he might have some interesting way to create a new one.  If it worked, at least.  He grinned.  "Yes."

Suddenly the bell rung and Tom was pulled from his thoughts and Crinis came crashing down onto the table as he woke, his hand slipping off his cheek.  Tom laughed, pulling his books and papers together, though keeping out the one paper that he had written on to show Lena since he had Herbology next.  He hurried ahead of the rest of his classmates and got to the greenhouses first, seeing Lena there talking with one of her friends outside.

"Lena!"

"Hey, Tom."

The Slytherin pulled her away some to talk to her quietly.  "I just came up with the most interesting way for me to get that new name I've been complaining about for two years."

"You have," she asked, surprised by the seeming spontaneity of it.

Tom pulled out the piece of paper from one of his robe pockets and handed it to her.  "I didn't have time to finish it.  The bell rang right after I wrote that."

"I see."  She examined it closely then looked up smiling.  "This is very interesting."

"I plan to work on it some more during lunch and in potions this afternoon while the potion's brewing."

The Ravenclaw continued smiling.  "Can I see what you come up with tonight at dinner?"

"Of course."

Lena giggled, happy he would let her see the results.  Tom kissed the first two fingers of his left hand and touched them to her forehead.  They smiled at each other for a moment before someone spoke.

"Flirting with the Ravenclaw, *again*, Tom?"  One of the Slytherin girls sniggered.  "Are we too good for you, *Halfblood*?"

The two of them looked at the bob-haired girl.  The Slytherin girls had let up on their teasing of Lena lately and started on Tom.  And Tom now knew why they had been bothering her so much now.  Tom was nearing his limit with all the teasing, though, and was about ready to tell all the girls off.

Before Tom could even start yelling, Crinis had gotten in the girl's face.  "Elsa, do *not* call him that."

"Why, he *is* one."

"He is just as good as you," Lena shouted, angrier from them teasing him than she ever had been when they teased her.

"And you would think so, now wouldn't you.  Tagging along everywhere with him, as though you were his loyal little servant."

"He's my beau!  And I *want* to follow him.  I like being with him."

"I think you've been *with* your little halfblood more than you'd want to say too," Elsa said, a sly look on her face.

"How dare you…"

"Students!"  Professor Madril suddenly appeared by them from the doorway of the greenhouse, making them all jump slightly.  "Class will begin *now*!"

"Yes, Professor," the four of them said very quickly, bustling into the greenhouse.

***

At dinner that night, Tom pulled Lena over to the Slytherin table and slipped her the piece of paper he had been working on all day.  She looked over it, seeing he had written and scratched out several things but circled one name: "Voldemort."  She looked at Tom, who had a broad smile on is face, and she returned the smile.

"Vol-de-mort," she sounded out quietly.

"No," he whispered, "it's more like…French.  The 't' is silent."

"So it'd be more like _Vol-de-more_?"

"Yeah."

"Lord Voldemort," she said quietly to herself.

"Do you like it?"

She did not say anything for a moment.  She just looked at him in slight puzzlement.  "Did you *intentionally* make this name mean that?"

There was a slight sly look on his face.  "Of course."

Lena looked at him slightly shocked.  "When did you learn French?"

"I've been studying it some.  Found a book in the library."

"When have you had the time?!"

"Here and there," he said, shrugging, but looking very sly.

The Ravenclaw was completely shocked.  She gapped at him for a moment.  She looked back at the piece of paper.  She whispered to herself: "'Flight of death.'"

"Yes."

"Why did you choose that meaning?"

"I didn't.  I was just playing around with spellings and found that one and suddenly thought that it seemed to fit."

"I don't know why it would."

"Me either, but it just felt right."

"Well, I'm glad you have a new name for yourself."  She handed him back the piece of paper then she smiled at him again before going to her table.  "See you later."

Tom watched her sit down at the Ravenclaw table then turned back to Crinis who was on his left.  The look on his face made him chuckle.  He had not told any of his friends about his creating his new name yet.

"What was that about?"

"I'll tell you later."

***

To my reviewers – 

Liv – of course Tom's getting evil…he's been getting slowly evil since Christmas his first year…and…um…you should know by now that Tom, for the duration of this story (and its subsequent two parts), is MINE…*sweet smile*…*huggles master*…and Lena *does* piss Tom off at time, and he her, but she always gives into his authority over her…Tom is not getting rid of Lena and no movement you start is going to get rid of her either…so :-P

MayDancer27 – I only have one comment about Tremaine's goggling over your licking your fingers…but that amuses most boys…no matter what…

Riddle Light – I'm sure that you'd think it was a good chapter…you *always* think it was a good chapter…no matter how bad it really is…

RivanKnight – thanks for saying it was a nice evil chapter…Tom's been getting evil…he just let it all show at once to his roommates…the entire card reading gave me two months of hell to work on…I had to find actually get to my own tarot book and then come up with the spread she did and then do the interpretation…but I liked the end results…^_^…and you weren't blabbering…

***

Remember to read and review…thanks for reading…


	25. Joining the Slytherins

Well…not that much longer till the fifth book finally gets released…*giddy*…that weekend you can be assured that I will not be posting any new chapters…I'll be with friends having a weekend long HP party (Quidditch and all too…^_~)…but there's still nearly two weeks till then…so I'll still be posting new chapters…

Chapter #25 – Joining the Slytherins 

Soon it was time for the Halloween Feast and the next day was the first Quidditch game, which, as usual, was Slytherin versus Gryffindor.  After that the rest of the days before Christmas holiday seemed to disappear into the snow that soon began falling on the grounds.  Before anyone knew it, the holiday was there.  The first day of the holiday nearly all the students could be found in Hogsmeade, all of them buying presents for their friends and family – including Tom.

During the first week of their holiday, Tom and Lena completed their homework then quickly went about starting their search again since most of the students were out in the snow playing.  Tom's friends all started asking him about where he was all the time but he only smiled.  He was sure they knew he was with Lena but were not sure of what they were doing together.  Tom figured it was time to use the Invisibility Cloak for other reasons.

After dinner, Lena ran up to where she usually hid the cloak and wrapped it around herself then went back down to where she had planned to meet Tom.  She got there, touched his sleeve so he knew she was there, then they headed down into the dungeons.  He led her to the secret entrance to his house and said the password ("cobra").  The wall slide away and they entered the Common Room where not many people were sitting.  They eased down the hall to his room, where he entered, leaving the door open behind him until he was sure that Lena was inside.  He smiled to his roommates, who were all there.

"What *are* you waiting for?"

"May I present," he grinned, closing the door finally, "Miss Lena Westbrook."

Lena pulled the Invisibility Cloak from her face and all the boys gasped.  Darcy dove under his sheets since he was in nothing but a knee-length nightshirt.  She giggled.

"She's a Ravenclaw!"

"She's a *girl*!"

"She is one of us," Tom corrected.

The rest of the boys fell silent.

"I will keep all secrets told within these walls, as I have done for several years already with Tom."  She smiled at them all.  "May I be accepted into the folds of this room?"

They all looked at each other for a while, seeming to have a silent conversation amongst themselves.  Finally, they turned back to her, her head the showing still, and, in near unison, all nodded.

Rather pleased to know they accepted her being there, she rushed to each of the boys, giving them all a kiss on their cheek and thanking them quietly.  When she got to Darcy, he tried to go even further under his covers to get away from her, but she was able to grab him and hold him in a tight hug for a moment.

"So *why* did you bring her here?  If she's caught…"

"I know the consequences, Crinis."  Tom walked to Lena.  "She is here because of all that she has done for me.  She belongs among us as we make our plans."

"I thought she was the one *helping* you formulate all those plans," Nathan said.

"His plans are his own.  I am simply assisting him, for, as he once told me, I am a Ravenclaw and who better to help with library research but a Ravenclaw."  Lena smiled at Tom.  "And I am more than happy to help my lord in any way."

"Your lord?"  Darcy laughed.  "Oh…yes, *great* Lord Voldemort."

Tom raised an eyebrow at the teenager.  "You mock me?"

"Oh, no, I'd *never* mock *you*."  He sniggered, burying his face into his pillow.  "Her lord!"

Though he could hardly hear Darcy's muffled voice, he glared over at his roommate for a while, who was still hiding under the covers.  He stood there for while, listening to his muffled laughter.  "You think it's amusing, don't you?"

"Yes."  He looked up, his face red and a little wet from having laughed so hard he had started crying.  "You are not great yet."

"But he is still *my* lord," Lena said, not turning her eyes from Tom, "even if he is not *your* lord yet."

Tom smiled at her then kissed her on the lips gently.  After a moment of his lips lingering there, their kiss deepened and they wrapped their arms around each other tightly.  They did not care that the others were gaping at them, shocked by this.  When his lips left hers, she fell onto his chest with a sigh.

"And just what *else* have the two of you been doing…wandering around the castle under that Invisibility Cloak," Crinis asked, looking at the two of them curiously.

"Various things," Tom said with a grin while Lena giggled into his chest.

Crinis' eyes widened in slight shock.  "You and her…you've…"

"Yes, several times," he said, still grinning and Lena giggling more.

All the others in the room gasped at that, all shocked that they had…  Tom laughed along with Lena.  He had known that they would react that way when they finally found out about them.  He held Lena while his friends recovered from the shock.

"How long have you two been…been…er…having…uh…," Rex just could *not* get the words out.

"Nearly a year."  He kissed Lena's neck.  "Right, Lena?"

"Mm-hmm."  She did not move, happy where she was.  "A wonderful year."

Tom smiled down at her.  "Yes, it has been."

"You don't intend to bed her *in here*, do you," Rex asked, a little worried he might.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, actually," he said, more teasing than anything since he caught the worry in his friend's voice.

Rex swallowed hard.  "If she is caught in here…"

"Her roommates will notice her not being in her dormitory for a whole night, Tom," Nathan said, being quite the voice of reason among the group.

"I would not keep her here an entire night even if I *did* ever take her in my bed."

"Give us prior warning before you do anything like that so we won't have to be in here," Rex said, somewhat bothered by the thought of having one of his roommates having sex while he was in the same room.

"I shall."  He kissed Lena's hair, resting his lips there for a while.  "And if I do ever have her here, she will be out before midnight."

"Midnight?!"

"Yes, and no later."

Lena settled back on his chest with a slight groan.

"Unless any of you disagree with that."  The other four teenagers in the room thought for a minute but all ended up shaking their head.  He kissed her hair again then lifted her face.  "What do you want to do now?"

"Whatever my lord desires," she said quietly and somewhat sleepily.

"You sound exhausted.  Go on back to your house and get your homework done then get to bed."

"Okay."  They kissed again then she pulled the cloak back onto her, disappearing.  "Thank you, Boys."

Tom left with the hidden woman and left the common room with her.  Once they were back to the second floor, they went to their meeting spot and Lena hid the cloak there, as always.  They kissed one more time, neither of them wanting to part for the night.

"You know where my house is now.  If you want to come see me, go down there.  I'm sure someone will be along at some point and you can sneak in.  We have a lot of comings and goings in my common room."

"Alright."

"Now go on to bed."

With a final kiss, they parted, going their separate ways.  As Lena hurried to her own common room, Tom turned to head back to the dungeon.  He paused, though, in front of the girls' toilet that was on that corridor and looked at the door.  After a moment, he shook his head and went on his way…not realizing what his intuition was trying to tell him.

***

To my reviewers – 

Liv – you?  Powerful?  *giggles*  yeah right…Lena's far more powerful…she fears no one…^_~

RivanKnight – yep…Voldemort is French…*eats strawberry cupcake*…mmm…

Riddle Light – of course you think it's good…:-P

Morgan – consistant with my facts?  How so?  I'd like to know what you think on that…


	26. Prefects

A/N : Oi! I do hope all you Harry Potter fanatics enjoy this weekend as we all finally get hold of book five...^_^...I'll hopefully be posting the next chapter next Wednesday when I get back from my very long HP party...Enjoy!  
  
A/N #2 : This is the second upload of this chapter...apparently FF.net is having "sent" issues (as that in some spots I have 26 chapters listed and in others I have only 25 still...and the interesting conflict between 101 or 99 reviews...peculiar)...  
  
Chapter #26 - Prefects  
  
Before the beginning of the new year, new came that was a shock to the wizarding community. They had received word that America that they would be coming in to help in the war efforts with Britain and the other Allies since Japan had attacked one of the Muggle naval ports. It had not been big news when the events in the Pacific really became of importance to the Muggles, but now with America in the war in Europe, it was a daily part of the news. Not only were their Muggle military forces coming to the island, but there was also an entire division of witches and wizards coming to help the European Ministries as well - completely unknown to the Muggles, of course.  
  
The Christmas holiday was over far too fast for Tom. Soon classes had started again and the days seemed to drag by. Tom kept up his search for the Chamber, though, even though he was again getting frustrated, as he had been a few times before. But he was not about to give up.not after he had spent so much time trying to find it. If it took him till the last day of his seventh year to find it, he would.  
  
By the end of February, it felt as though the end of the school year was coming too fast and the teachers seemed to respond by giving their students a lot more homework and Tom was already stressed enough with his seemingly endless search for his ancestor's secret chamber. He did his best, though, to keep up with all the work, often having to search the castle late at night by himself since Lena was having more work than he. But his late nights were taking their toil on him and he was not getting as much sleep as he should have been.  
  
Winter melted away into spring. The lengthening day soon began to draw more and more students outside, leaving Tom and Lena more freedom to start looking more without fearing literally running into anyone under the cloak, as they had nearly done a time or two before. Their searches still all seemed to be vain attempts since each time they returned from searching, they had still found nothing. At the end of April they decided to stop looking until their summer holiday began so they would not be distracted with that while they should be getting ready for their final examinations, which were a little more than a month away.  
  
During May, there was suddenly a near uproar among the students when Hagrid *apparently* got another pet, though he said it was not so. What seemed to have happened was that he had gone into the Forbidden Forest and this time gotten caught coming out. But in his company was one of the creatures of the forest. It was a relatively rare one too, a gytrash, a type of "spectral" dog. The one with him was still a pup and seemed to be orphaned, as that the mother should have been with it. Professor Calhoun gladly took the little one into her care and had a lesson with all her Care of Magical Creatures classes about these rare magical dogs.  
  
Exams were there in no time and the end of year feast was served and the house cup was awarded to Slytherin. According to most of the Slytherins, this was mainly Tom's doing since he had gotten nearly a hundred points in that year by himself, not only because of his increasing knowledge, but also his helping other students with their lesson quite often, even if the students were not in his house. This impressed all the teachers, including Dumbledore, and everyone knew that he would be one of the new prefects for the next year. It was only about a week and a half after that when the professors all sat down and chose the newest prefects.  
  
Professor Sidus left the Teachers' Lounge once this meeting was over, smiling. The numbers always varied depending on the way the students performed. This year there were thirteen new prefects, and he was *very* proud that *four* of them were in his own house - two boys and two girls. He went down into the dungeon and to his house's secret entrance. He said the password then entered when the wall opened to admit him. The few students in the common room looked up at him, a little surprised to see him since he rarely came down there unless for something important.  
  
"Ah, Sylvia," he smiled as the teenage girl looked up, "I have something for you."  
  
When he showed her the silver badge, she gasped, fighting the urge to jump up from the couch and run to him. Her head of house walked to her and pinned the badge to her robes, right above her house patch. She smiled up at him then he patted her on her red hair. She was nearly grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Is Helen in her room?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
The Astronomy professor nodded then headed down the girls' hallway. He stopped in front of the right door and knocked on the now fifth years' door. The door cracked open and the student he was looking for stood there in her dressing gown. When she saw it was her head of house, she opened the door a little wider. He smiled at her, as he had Sylvia, showing her another badge to her.  
  
"This belongs to you."  
  
The young woman's eyes widened as he placed it in her hand, so she could pin it to her uniform. She just stared at it for a moment then thanked him, closing the door. He then turned to go see the boys to give them their badges. When he reached their room, he knocked and Crinis told him to come in. He opened the door, seeing three of the five boys there. One of them was who he was looking for.  
  
"Lestrange," he held up the badge for Nathan to see it, "this would be yours."  
  
Nathan looked very surprised, shaking his head. "I don't deserve it. Tom's..."  
  
"He's getting one too." He walked to him and pinned it to his uniform. "You deserve it just as much according to the rest of the professors."  
  
The teenager nodded, though reluctantly.  
  
"Do any of you know where Riddle is?"  
  
"Library," they all said in unison.  
  
Professor Sidus nodded in slight surprise that they would all so readily know where he was then turned and left. He left the common room and returned to the entrance hall. He headed towards the library, hoping that soon he would be giving the last badge to the student he thought deserved it the most. And Mr. Riddle being in the library made him feel proud. Surely the boy was researching some amazingly interesting thing.  
  
Once he arrived at the library, he began to look around for his student. He found him in the "Charms" section, books scattered around the table he was at. Professor De Nuit was there, pinning a badge on Miss Westbrook, whom was standing beside Tom.  
  
"Now how did *you* get from Ravenclaw House back here so quickly?"  
  
"I didn't go there first. These are *my* prefects, I knew they'd be here. I found Mr. Ports first and had a few words with him because he wanted to make sure he knew what it entailed being a prefect. After that I started looking for Miss Westbrook." She smiled towards Tom. "I'll leave you so you may go about your own business, Edward. I must go find Miss Bergum. No doubt she's with her boyfriend."  
  
As she left, Professor Sidus smiled at Tom. "I'm sure you know why I'm here, then."  
  
"Yessir."  
  
He held out the last badge he had. "When we chose prefects, yours was the first name mentioned and you were agreed upon with no arguments."  
  
Tom had surely thought that Dumbledore would have had some words to say against him being a prefect, at least. "Really?"  
  
"Yes." He nodded, still smiling. "Keep up all your good work and you might be Head Boy in two years."  
  
"I shall try my hardest to get that too."  
  
The professor pinned the prefect badge to Tom's robes. "Congratulations, Riddle. I don't think any of the other students deserved this more than you."  
  
The two new prefects watched him leave, both smiling, and it was all because of the badges now shining on their chests. They were prefects...which meant they would be granted *much* more freedom to do as they pleased. They were trusted by their professors and they would use that trust for all it was worth.  
  
Their new status also would give them permission to use the Restricted Section whenever they wished. Their being able to use it only on weekends and holidays was the one thing that Madam Beech was still strict about, even though she had taught them the spell to get down all the books two years before, which not even most prefects knew. They could research so much more now, and there would be few that would question their research, even if what they were studying was ever really found out because they *were* prefects now and prefects were known for "expanding" their knowledge of *all* things.  
  
"Are you thinking what I am?"  
  
"Most likely." Tom grinned. "So much more freedom..."  
  
"Unlimited access to the Restricted Section..."  
  
"Extended curfew..."  
  
"This is wonderful!"  
  
"I know." He pulled her closer, checked to make sure no one was watching, then kissed her. "Wonderful..."  
  
"My dad'll want to celebrate this," she said, more to herself than anything.  
  
Tom frowned. "'Least you have someone who cares."  
  
"I'll be sure to ask him if you can join us."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes." She finally sat back in her chair, not looking at him as she pulled a book to her. "He's been wanting to meet you."  
  
"He has?" He thought about her mother. "I don't know if I'd want to go. The few times I've seen your mum, she hasn't seemed to like me."  
  
"Oh," she looked down some, "my mum won't be coming. She's really ill."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, knowing that she *did* really love her mother.  
  
"It's alright. Mum's always been a little frail. That's one of the reasons she so easily irritated." She smiled up at Tom. "But I know she'll get better soon. I'm sure of it. She always does."  
  
Tom nodded.  
  
Lena changed the subject, smiling broadly. "And since Diagon Alley is back open, we can possibly go there. Dad told me when he went last week that it looks just like it used to. He saw it after the bombing too...part of his office's job for some reason."  
  
"Back to Diagon? You think..."  
  
"If I ask for that specifically, yeah. We'd probably have to Floo, though."  
  
"Floo?"  
  
"Travel by Floo Powder."  
  
"Oh," he had heard of it but never used that method of travel, "right."  
  
"So...would you like to..."  
  
"Yes," he said, a little too loud. He clapped his hand over his mouth when he saw a third year peeked around a bookcase at him.  
  
"Then I'll write him first thing in the morning and let him know."  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
MayDancer27 - yes...Tom's intuition is very important here...and I make it a point in the story...there are some things that come up towards the end of the story that strike Tom but he doesn't really understand what it means at the time...my partyish fun? What fun?  
  
RivanKnight - no...sadly Darcy doesn't get "punished" for it...Tom's not quite that strict yet...hmm...banana...ick...but thanks anyway...  
  
kat - thanks for letting me know that you were reading along...I do hope that you continue to like the story as it nears finishing...sorry it took so long to get this chapter up...  
  
***  
  
Please review me and let me know what you think...^_^ 


	27. Lena's Father

A/N : Well...the fifth book was sooo great...I cried and wanted to give Harry so many hugs...and yet, I'm very scared because of the fact that I am starting to like the good guys...*screams*...*runs and hides in the corner*...please...don't let master find me...  
  
Chapter #27 - Lena's Father  
  
Four days passed before they received word from Lena's father. He said that he would be there to pick them up from a friend's home, who lived just outside Hogsmeade, at noon. Though Tom had hoped to go searching the castle again that day, the thought of both meeting Lena's father and getting away from the castle were incentive enough to postpone one day of searching. The thought of going to Diagon Alley again for the first time in nearly three years was well worth the break.  
  
Late that morning, the two of them headed down to Hogsmeade, hand-in-hand. They passed all the shops and many of their friends, who all waved for them to join them. They were walking toward the edge of town, though, with Lena leading the way since she knew where they were headed.  
  
"I know that you don't know how to use Floo Powder..."  
  
"I have read about it."  
  
"Yes, you have, but there's a few things they don't tell you about using it in books."  
  
"Alright, tell me."  
  
"Alright. You know the basics, right? Handful of powder, drop it into the flames. Well, that's the easy part. Once you get into the Floo System, you have to be careful. You usual start spinning and can easily get disoriented. I've gotten sick before from all the spinning. Don't get scared, you might fall out into someone's living room. Just stay calm and try and land right. It took me a while when I was younger to get the finer points of the arrival. So try and keep your feet down so you land right. Oh, and don't lock you knees. You might really hurt yourself on landing."  
  
"I'll try and remember all that."  
  
"Well, the main thing is to stay calm and land right."  
  
Tom nodded, understanding.  
  
The home they were headed for was set back in a part of the Forbidden Forest which was around Hogsmeade. The cottage was quite quaint with a low stone wall around it, which had long been overgrown with vines that had small yellow and white blooms on them. They entered the garden under a vine-covered arbor and walked down the stone path leading to the front door. They were surrounded by the smells of summer flowers.  
  
Tom was feeling rather excited and nervous since he had never before been in a wizard's home. Lena knocked on the door and an elderly, white-haired witch, who was shorter than both of the teenagers, opened the door, smiling at them. She let them in without a word. She led them into the small living room where Tom looked around, taking in the sights and sounds and smells of the home. It was light and airy, full of the smells of dry herbs and potions brewing, as well as the scent of fresh baked bread. The furniture was somewhat antique but still in great condition.  
  
On the far side of the living room was a large fireplace. A man was leaning against the edge of the mantle, smiling at the two students as they entered. He was in green and blue robes with a black cloak fastened around his neck with a crescent moon clasp. He had dark brown hair that was short and neat. He wore round glasses, which were pushed down on his nose and he was examining the teenagers over their rims.  
  
"Dad!" Lena ran to the man and tossed her arms around him. "I've missed you!"  
  
"And I you." He kissed her forehead then looked at Tom. "You must be young Mr. Riddle."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Westbrook."  
  
The man shook Tom's hand. "You can call me Korbin, I don't mind. I know plenty about you and I hope that you will soon learn more about me."  
  
"You know about me?"  
  
"Yes, Lena talks incessantly about you."  
  
"She does?"  
  
"It's all good things, young Mr. Riddle. She's never said anything bad about you...at least that I can remember."  
  
Tom nodded. "You may call me Tom."  
  
"Alright then." He turned back to his daughter. "Ready?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
Mr. Westbrook turned to Tom. "And you?"  
  
"Yessir."  
  
The little witch took a porcelain dish from the mantle and offered it to Lena. "Lady's first, my dear."  
  
Lena nodded, grabbing a handful of the powder before stepping into the flames. She smiled at Tom, who was studying her every move. "Diagon Alley." She dropped the powder into the fire and in a burst of green she was gone.  
  
"You next, young man. Korbin said he was going to Disapparate."  
  
Taking a deep breath, he strode forward and took a handful of Floo Powder, just as Lena had done. Even with what he had read concerning the magical substance and with Lena's explanation on their way there, he was still somewhat apprehensive about this method of travel. He walked into the warm, tickling fire and finally released his breath as he spoke his destination: "Diagon Alley."  
  
In a rush of green flames, he found himself swirling in more of the emerald flames. He felt as though he were falling, like in a dream. He wanted to close his eyes to keep from getting sick from the spinning but he could not. As he passed by other hearths, he could see rooms, but they passed so quickly he could hardly even see beyond their fireplace. After a moment he landed on a warm hearth. His feet gave way under him and he fell out. Lena was there to catch him so he did not hit the floor.  
  
"I'd say that was good for your first time." She was brushing ash and soot from his uniform. "Need to work on your arrival, though."  
  
Korbin was standing behind her, smiling at him. "Come on, then. I'm sure the two of you didn't have lunch before coming here. My treat."  
  
Tom looked around him, seeing that they had arrived in the Leaky Cauldron. The three of them walked to an empty booth and sat down. They ordered their food and, while they waited, they began to talk about the repairs that had been done to the pub they were now in and Diagon Alley once Lena asked her dad about it.  
  
"When I first saw what had happened, I was shocked." Korbin was looking at the two teenagers that were seated across from his at the booth. "Not as much damage as there could have been, but, still, it was bad enough. The entire middle of the pub was caved in. The entrance to the alley was gone. Ollivander's was one of the few shop on the alley that wasn't too badly damaged. That family has had spells protecting it since they opened that shop. The bank was even damaged some and Gringotts has about as much magic on it as Hogwarts. What really surprised a lot of the Ministry officials, though, was that Knockturn Alley wasn't even scathed in the slightest. There was a lot of talk that Grindelwald had tipped them off."  
  
"That sounds quite likely." Lena smiled at her father some. "It would be like dark wizards to help each other out that way. Must keep the dark arts flourishing, even during the war. I mean, with all the things they say he's planning..."  
  
"Yes. I would agree." He returned his daughter's smile. "But, all of the shop owners down there refused to acknowledge any spells being put up or even any connections with Grindelwald."  
  
"As would be expected."  
  
"What *reasonable* dark wizard would *acknowledge* having connection with the newest Dark Lord even if he were in the inner circle?"  
  
Lena giggled some, putting her hand over her mouth.  
  
Beside her, Tom had caught the hint about what her father meant. But he would not make such assumptions, at least at the moment. Yet, it seemed too solid to have been anything else. He would ask Lena later on, so as not to insult her father. He felt especially uncomfortable about his thoughts when Korbin turned to him.  
  
"So, Tom, you're Dana Raghnall's son. I was a good friend of hers growing up and we worked together some after we graduated too. She was a very beautiful, very smart woman, and kind too. I think that there are few people that could compare to her." He smiled as he remembered his dear friend, but then his eyes go a sad look within them. He was thinking of how much Dana had loved her husband and how she had been heartbroken when he left her, but knowing what Tom thought of his father, he was not going to say it. He just went on to the next part of the story. "I was sad to hear that she had passed away. It was a blow to all those that she was close to. She was very important to us. No one had been told that you had lived though. The midwife just took you away and said nothing to anyone but those at the orphanage. People have said that it was probably your father's doing." He looked at Tom, dead seriousness in his eyes. "If I had known that her child had lived, though, I would not have let you stay at that orphanage."  
  
There was no way that Tom could conceal his shock. He had known that several of his fellow Slytherins' parents had known his mother but this was the first time of meeting any of them that he had been told such a thing. He gave a genuine smile. "I wish that you had known as well. I hated it there."  
  
"I understand that. Muggles can quite often be cruel and with your being a wizard it was even more so, I'm sure. Things that are strange cause fear in Muggles and, well, fear caused hatred, which usually turns violent." He shook his head. "Ignorance is the worst of all crimes in this world."  
  
"I agree," Tom said, thinking again of how he wanted to teach them their lesson. He had to find that chamber and then...  
  
A plate of food was suddenly placed in front of him and he was broken from his thoughts. They began to eat, continuing to talk about the repairs that had taken place. Tom learned that it had been house elves, like they had at Hogwarts (which he *had* seen since he had sneaked into the kitchens a few times before), that had done all the repairs. With their magic, they had repaired everything nearly three times as fast as the same amount of wizards would have been able to do. Once they were finished, Korbin stood first.  
  
"Now that you are both well fed, let's head on to Gringotts."  
  
They left the Leaky Cauldron and entered Diagon Alley the same way that Tom remembered. They walked down the alley, heading towards the large white marble building that was Gringotts. The two students were looking around, amazed at how everything was similar yet very different from what they remembered.  
  
Once they arrived at the bank, they entered and got a goblin to take them down into the vaults. The trip down was quite a rush for all of them on the trip to their vaults and back to the main bank. Now with heavy bags of money they went back to the shops to get the things they needed for classes. Soon they had finished their shopping they sat down outside the ice cream shop, resting their sore arms after getting their supplies.  
  
"Well, I think I'll be leaving you two." Korbin nodded to Tom then looked at his daughter. "You know how to get back?"  
  
"Of course, unless they changed it."  
  
"No, they haven't." He smiled. "Stay as long as you like."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Send a letter soon. Your mother enjoys hearing from you. She's been confined to bed a lot recently and needs some happiness."  
  
"I'll write her when I get back to school."  
  
And with that, he vanished with a loud snap.  
  
Tom smiled as he looked at Lena. "Your father is very interesting."  
  
"Yes, he is."  
  
***  
  
To my reviewers -  
  
Liv - yes...of course he's a prefect...he becomes Head Boy...of course...James was Head Boy without becoming a prefect it seemed...hmm...*thinks*...oh well...continue enjoying...  
  
RivanKnight - well...and meet-the-father...what'd you think of it? *gobbles up brownies* MMMMMM...  
  
Riddle Light - I'll think about sending you the chapters...after I redo them all...fifth book made me strongly want to redo 5th thru 7th years...so wait a little longer and you'll have them...okie?  
  
***  
  
Please review me and let me know what you think...^_^ 


	28. Knockturn Alley

Chapter #28 – Knockturn Alley 

After Korbin left them, they asked the shopkeeper at the ice cream parlor to watch their things so they would not have to carry them around.  After he agreed, they ran off to check all the shops for books they had not already referenced at the school about the location of the Chamber of Secrets.  After checking every store and finding nothing, they returned to the ice cream shop.  Of course, Lena did not come back empty handed, she had bought quite a bit of extra stuff.  How she was going to get all her things back baffled Tom.

Tom and Lena then sat outside the ice cream shop eating sundaes.  While they ate, Lena suddenly got the most brilliant idea.  She suggested, very quietly mind you, that they head down to Knockturn Alley to check a store she knew of down there that might have what they were looking for.  As soon as they were finished with their ice creams, they told the shopkeeper they would be back shortly and Lena led him down towards the bank then they turned off, going down a dimly lit alleyway.

Tom looked around, amazed at the thing the shops around them held along the alley.  All the shops seemed to be dedicated to the practice of the Dark Arts.  He looked at Lena after a moment, a slightly shocked look on his face at her casualness of walking down there.  It did not seem the type of place one would carelessly enter.  "Do you…come here often?"

"Oh…no," she replied with a slightly sarcastic smile.  Lena led him down to the largest shop, Borgin and Burkes, and entered, the bell on the door tinkling.  "Mr. Burke?"

"Miss Westbrook!"  A middle-aged, brown haired man came toward her with a smile from where he was arranging something on a shelf.  He took her hand, and kissed it.  "So good to see you.  Is you father with you?"

"No…just a friend."  She turned to the teenage boy beside her.  "Tom, this is Mr. Burke."

Tom and Mr. Burke shook hands and exchanged quick "pleased to meet you's."

"Now," he wrung his hands together, "what is there that I can get you?"

"We're looking for information on Salazar Slytherin.  We've exhausted the resources at school and have tried all the other bookstores here, as well as the few up in Hogsmeade, but they have nothing we've already read.  Perhaps you…"

"In fact," he said, shaking a finger slightly as he walked off to a bookcase behind the counter, "I do think I have something here.  Had it for the longest time, too.  Quite controversial, my grandfather said.  Not many left.  Most were destroyed it seems.  Let's see."

Lena smacked Tom's hand as it reached for a strange silvery liquid in a bowl setting out on a mahogany table.  "Don't touch _anything_ in here if you don't know what it is.  There's no telling what it might do to you."

"Ah!"  Mr. Burke pulled a book from the shelf.  "Here we go!"

The two teenagers walked to him and he handed Lena the book across the counter.  She noted it was old enough for the goldleaf name to have worn off on the spine.  She carefully opened it and saw the title: _Secrets about the Founders of Hogwarts_.  She smiled broadly, looking up at the shop owner.  Tom took the book from her and started flipping through the old, fragile pages carefully, looking for the information on his ancestor.

"How much does it cost?"

"Twenty-nine Galleons," he said, rather quietly, doubting she would pay that much.

When Tom found the information on Slytherin, his eyes widened.  Before Lena could even count to see how much money she had left, Tom had put a large pile of coins on the counter and began to walk off slowly, muttering to himself as he read.  Lena watched a very shocked Mr. Burke count up the thirty-seven Galleons, six Sickles, and fourteen Knuts.  When he looked at her, she only smiled then walked off, following Tom out of the store.

"Tell your father I said hello, Miss Westbrook," Mr. Burke said as she left the shop.  She only waved back at him.

As they walked back to Diagon Alley, Lena could not take her eyes off of Tom, who was absorbed in the book.  "I take it there is _very_ useful information in there."

Without a word, he showed her a picture in the book, showing a rounded, vault-like door that looked to be encrusted with jewels and snakes stretching across it.  She caught a glimpse of the words "Chamber of Secrets" and "Basilisk" before he pulled the book back to him and continued reading it, still not saying a word.

"Well, I'm glad I thought of going to Borgin and Burkes."

The question that Tom had been burning to ask since they had eaten at the Leaky Cauldron finally came out.  "Is your dad a Dark Wizard?"

"The Dark Arts interest him, but he doesn't consider himself a Dark Wizard.  Mum dislikes the interest he has in it and is still mad that he introduced it to me when I was young."

Tom paused, looking at Lena, then back to the shop.  "I think I'll be spending a lot of time in there the next time I come here."

"Why?"

"I want to learn as much about the Dark Arts as I can, you know that.  And I can find many things in these shops, I'm sure," he said, looking at the window display of the closest shop, which showed an assortment of bottled poisons and strange looking devices.

"Students in Knockturn is not always good.  And, anyway, we can't use magic outside school, remember.  There are lots of people down there that would love to curse you, not caring who you are and you wouldn't be able to protect yourself.  If you do go, take me along with you, please.  I know a lot of the people down there."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure you're at my side."  He looked at her with an almost possessive expression.  "I never want you to leave me."

"And I won't," she smiled, "my lord."

***

To my reviewers – 

MayDancer27 – end of school turmoil is very understandable…I know that feeling all too well and am very glad that, at least right now, I don't have to worry about school again…though I might go back and get my master's degree…*sigh*…well…Tom yells at Lena a little later about telling people about him without his permission…but not until after their 5th year…which is coming up very soon…and I still have things in it I want to rewrite…I dislike those chapters so much…

Nicolette Lynn Lupin – thank you for the compliment…I'm glad you think I'm keeping them "real"…^_^

Liv – oh, the chapters I'm redoing are the ones that I haven't posted yet…I've completed the story (or at least this part of the story)…I just need to redo the way I have Tom's sixth and seventh years set up for their classes…I had a slightly different view on the way those years/classes would be…and of course the house elves would fix Diagon Alley…who else?!

CharliePotter – Glad you're loving it…and I do hope you continue to love it…I tried to get Tom just right…but absolute evil is at times hard for me to comprehend…but I'm slowly getting the idea now…after over a year of planning this thing out…

RivanKnight – I will keep all comments about Korbin to myself and let you think whatever you want to think of him…*now covered in slushie*…don't throw liquids or near liquids at me again…'kay?  *shakes it off*…yuck…

Riddle Light - *huggle back*…and you'll get those new chapters soon enough, alrighty?  *wink*…

EVRWD4YU – *blinks*…you think that mine is that good?  *puzzled*…but I'm always surprised when people actually like my work…it always shocks me…never think it that good of a story…but I'm usually wrong…^_^…I'm glad you like it…and thanks for the review…

elfette-gurl – sweated, eh?  Was it just hard work getting there or because of the "steamy" scene?  I tried to tone it done so it wasn't too bad for any of my younger readers…it was steamy…but I didn't want to have an "R" rating on the story just because of that one chapter…and I got you to like my wonderful master…*huggles master*…he is great, isn't he?  But…you know…after reading the fifth book…I started liking Harry…hmm…maybe we're just switching there or something…anyway…thanks for thinking it's awesome…^_^…and do keep reading…


	29. Whispers

Chapter #29 – Whispers 

As soon as they got back from London, Tom took the Invisibility Cloak and spent the entire night wandering around the castle, his new book in hand.  He returned to his dormitory at dawn, exhausted from staying up all night.  He collapsed onto his bed, distraught, because he had not found anything again.  Yet, he was sure he was getting closer.  And that book was going to help him finish his search…he knew it would.

"Where have you been?"  Rex had his eyes cracked, looking at Tom.  "You came   
in for all of about five minutes then left again."

"I've been searching."  He yawned, mouth wide.  He grabbed his pillow tightly, nearly going to sleep right then.  "I'm so tired."

"Why'd you go searching?  Find something new?"

Tom pointed towards his new book, too tired to move much.  He heard he roommate get up and take up the book.  Rex flipped through it for a few minutes silently then set it back on top of the cloak, which Tom had tossed carelessly on the bed.  He felt him lean over the bed towards him.

"What," Tom asked, not looking up at him.

The look on his face was somewhere between shock and annoyance, even if his roommate could not see it.  "How'd you get to Knockturn Alley?"

Tom sat up quickly, looking at Rex, shocked.  "How'd you…"

"I've been…once or twice.  I saw that book in Borgin and Burkes."  He studied Tom.  "So how _did_ you get there?"

"Lena and I went.  She took me down there."

"Ah, Westbrook," he nodded, "I see.  Yes.  I should have realized that.  She is knowledged in such things."

"How can you know more about my girlfriend than I do?"

"I grew up with her.  So did Darcy.  You know that.  We know her well."

"Is that why she and he have been sharing secrets," he asked, looking at Macnair, who was still fast asleep.

"Oh…that."  Rex grinned.  "That's just stuff our parents have been telling us that they've heard from their…er…groups that they're involved in."

"Groups?"

"Yes."  His grin remained.  "They just deal with some things going on in the war."

"Dark wizards," he said, somewhat nonchalantly.

"Actually…yes."

Tom nodded, having figured as much, even if he had brushed it aside so many times before.

"Lena tell you about her father?"

"No, I kind of figured it out for myself once he said a few things and, then, Lena taking me down to Knockturn gave me a clue."  He closed his eyes as he yawned.  "I'm so bloody tired."

"Then go to sleep."  Rex headed back to his own bed.  "I'll tell the others not to be noisy when they get up."

With a grateful nod, he pulled the covers over himself and held his pillow tightly.  He fell asleep rather quickly.  Thoughts filled his mind of how the Chamber would look like.  As had happened a few times before, his thoughts faded into his dreams.  He smiled in his sleep…he knew he was closer than ever.

***

Tom spent countless hours over the next month trying to locate the Chamber's entrance.  His new book listed several very interesting ways of how Slytherin could have hidden it.  Though everything was just speculation, the author summed up his approach well: "I have spent years researching everything known, true or fiction, on the four founders of Hogwarts.  All things presented in this book are meant to present the most accurate portrayal possible of Gordic Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin."  He read the section on his ancestor nearly a dozen times but he also read the other founders information just out of curiosity.

With the book's mention of the creature within the Chamber of Secrets being a basilisk, Tom's interest in Care of Magical Creatures was highly increased.  But it was Nathan who really helped, since that class _was_ his favorite subject.  He pointed Tom to several good books in the library on dark creatures in general, as well as a few he had found in the Restricted Section (which Nathan could now use since he was a prefect).  Soon Tom knew everything one could imagine on the king of serpents.  He also realized why it would be logical to presume that was the creature in the Chamber with what he already knew about his ancestor.  He wondered why no one else had thought of it before.

There ended up being a lot more activity in Tom's dormitory room regarding finding the Chamber.  Tom discussed how he planned to go about ridding the school of the Mudbloods.  He would use _Hogwarts Castle: An Incomplete Survey_ to get into the other houses.  Lena had a few things to argue with him with because of this since her house did have a good number of Mudbloods in it, right alongside the purebloods, so he decided to change his plans some, though he was not about to tell them his new plan.

Nathan's girlfriend, Sylvia, was soon pulled into all the plans when she walked in on the middle of one of their discussions with Lena there.  Though Tom had not liked her joining their group at first, he soon grew used to her presence.  He knew he would have to win others to his cause if he wanted his plans to succeed, and he was sure many Slytherins would help him if were to only ask.  After all, pureblood mania ran rampant with his house, as he had come to learn well over the past four years.

In the library, his research was turning towards learning more about the Dark Arts instead of going on endless searches for more information on the Chamber in the books he had either already looked through or the ones he doubted would have any information.  His searching for clues to the whereabouts of the Chamber was now mainly done under the Cloak while all the other students played outside in the summer warmth.  The more he searched, the more he always ended up feeling drawn to the second floor, but he searched it many times and found nothing.  As the new school year approached, he stopped his wandering around the castle and focused on reading about past great Dark Wizards, learning as much as he could about them, their ideals, and how they had studied the Dark Arts.  He would need to know that if he wished to learn more about the Dark Arts…and become a Dark Wizard.

On their last trip to Hogsmeade before the school year started back, Tom and his friends were whispering to each other in the Three Broomsticks about Hagrid.  He was in the pub talking to an older man that looked quite rough and scarred, seeming like he had traveled a lot and encountered many dangerous creatures.  The large student was looking around quite a bit, looking rather nervous, but also quite happy.  After a while, the two of them left together, still talking freverently.  They all knew that it had something to do with Hagrid getting another monster, even though he was still forbidden from having any more "pets" while he was at Hogwarts.

The holiday ended too soon and classes began.  Each class mentioned their OWLs, which would be given at the end of the year instead of their normal final examinations.  They would have a lot of work to do with reviewing and getting new material covered as well.  He knew his searching would be limited as soon as he got his first assignments, which would keep him working for hours…and each day was turning out that way.  And on top of prefect duties, he was lucky even be getting his work done.

At the end of the first full week of classes, Tom and Lena spent the evening together, wrapped in a lover's embrace in his bed, hidden behind his sound-proofed curtains.  After agreeing to meet early the next morning to study, they slipped out of the common room and headed to their normal meeting spot.  They parted with a kiss for the night.

Tom headed back to Slytherin House, yawning.  He was tired from all the work he had been doing for his classes, and it was only then end of the first week.  He was looking forward to being able to have a lie-in the next morning.  It was late already and he would not be getting much rest with all he had to do, especially since he was getting up early to meet Lena to work on their Herbology essay.  That weekend would be very busy for him and again he would have no time to search the castle.

As he passed the girls toilet, he stopped.  There was a voice coming from inside and it was nearly two hours after curfew.  Making sure his prefect badge was showing, he walked to the door and knocked on it.  No one said anything but the whispering continued.  So, with a slight huff, he opened the door and peeked in.

"Whoever's in here, it's past curfew.  Get to your house."

But no one was there.  He stood in the doorway listening.  The voice continued.  It did not sound like a human voice, echoing around on the tile and stone.  He could not make out any of the words either.  He sighed, cursing himself for being fooled that easily by one of the school's resident spirits.  He left, going back to the dungeons, not thinking anything else about it.

***

To my reviewers – 

Liv – yes…well…Lena knows about dealing with devices that are cursed…she put on a cursed tiara once that made her bald…so, well…um…yeah…that'd break anyone of touching things that are in a Dark Arts shop before they knew what they are…

EVRWD4YU – oh…well…he doesn't actually *find* the Chamber for a few more chapters…but he's getting pretty darn close, don't you think…^_~…he still has a few more little things to work out before then…but it's going to be soon…

skysong – well…if you waded your way through the boring stuff (and I do hope it's not so boring now) and reached this chapter to see this comment…well…here's my answer to your review…Dumbledore didn't teach his first year because there was another professor teaching that, when he had had enough – and vines growing out of my ears would do that to me – Dumbledore took over because he wanted to be able to keep an eye on Tom, already sensing what the young Slytherin was up to…and as for Tom starting speaking Parseltongue at the orphanage…I'm sure the same situation would have happened as did with Harry…if he *spoke* in Parseltongue before he got to Hogwarts, he wouldn't have realized he was, and the kids would have just looked at him funny…but, as you see, he'll figure it out soon…did that help any? Sorry if I sounded rude at all…

RivanKnight – yes, he found new clues…he needed them don't you think? *wipes off with towel*…thanks…^_^…*eats toffees*…mmm…yummy…

***

Reviews…reviews…I love reviews…*does the "review dance" and looks very silly going it*


	30. The Ashwinder

Chapter #30 – The Ashwinder 

September changed to October, but there was no relief in the amount of work for the fifth years.  On top of all their assignments, their professors were suggesting they think about what they wanted to do once they got out of Hogwarts.  This was not at all easy for Tom.  He had absolutely no idea what he wanted to do when he got out of school…well, actually he did, but he doubted telling his teachers he was interested in becoming a Dark Wizard would have made them very excited.  All he knew was that he did not want to have to take any more classes with Dumbledore, who seemed to be watching him more and more, as though he sensed what Tom was doing, and how close he was getting.

Finally, in mid-November, the teachers gave the fifth years a break for a few nights so the students could rest some since they all seemed worn out.  Of course the professors were getting worn out from having to grade all their students' work.  Tom and Lena spent some time walking around the castle those nights, but not under the Cloak.  They munched on some pastries they had taken with them from the Great Hall at dinner.  They discussed prefect duties and their assignments mainly.  Their minds could not be farther away from thinking of finding the Chamber.

On the last night of their homework break, though, as they headed towards where the Cloak was hidden so Lena could come down to his room, Tom could not help but have his thoughts turn to his search for the Chamber of Secrets.  He said nothing to Lena, though, as she grabbed the Cloak and disappeared under it.  He glanced at the girls' toilet as he passed it but did not stop, heading on to the Slytherin common room.  It still drew him, and he did not know why.

Once they were in Tom's room, Lena tossed off the cloak with a sigh and went to his bed, falling upon it and pulling a pillow to her.  None of the other young men in the room had paid attention to her since they were used to her coming in so much.  Nathan was the only one of the them not in the room, he was in the common room with his girlfriend.

Tom sat on the edge of his bed and pulled off his shoes then kissed Lena's neck.  "Are you just going to go to sleep?"

"Yes, my lord."  Her voice was slightly muffled by the pillow and sounded very tired.  "I like your bed better than mine."

"Of course, because it's mine."  He smiled at her, though she was not looking at her.  "You've fallen asleep here many times."

Lena said nothing, yawning wide.

"So, what'd you two do," Rex asked, looking up from a book he was reading.

"Just walked around the castle and talked."

"Only that," he asked, grinning.

"Yes, only that."

"I am too tired for anything else," Lena said through another yawn.

"Then sleep," he whispered to her.

And she did.  While she was lost in slumber, Tom was reading one of the books he had gotten from the Restricted Section on the Dark Arts.  Soon he too became too tired to keep his eyes open and he fell asleep, still sitting up against his headboard, head lolling to the side.  He had not thought to wake Lena and let her know that it was already after midnight so she could go to her own room.

It was nearly three hours later when Tom woke from some dream and realized the time.  He scrambled to get Lena out as soon as possible so she would not be missed by her roommates too much, even though they seemed to have come to the conclusion she did this often enough to not worry about her absence.  Sleepily, they left the room, doing their hardest not to wake any of the others in the dormitory.

The common room was empty, and had been for several hours.  The fire still crackled, like always in the hearth, but within the flames there was more than just salamanders stirring around.  An ashwinder emerged from the fire and slithered beneath the table that stood between the two couches.  Her red eyes were looking around for a spot that would be perfect for her clutch.  Soon she found a nice dark place beneath a chair and curled up, ready to lay her red eggs.  She muttered to herself, knowing what her fate was as soon as she had lain the eggs.

It was then that Tom was slipping down the hall with Lena by his side, the Invisibility Cloak over her arm, both of them yawning.  When they reached the common room Tom stopped, hearing a strange voice.  He looked around the room but saw no one.  He walked around the room for a moment, trying to locate the voice, not caring about the odd look Lena was giving him, then realized it was coming from _under_ the green upholstered chair a few feet from him.  He went to it and moved it, meeting an angry hiss from the snake beneath it.

_"Leave me be,"_ she hissed at him.

Tom stood dumbfounded.  He had _understood_ the snake, even if she was still hissing.  But what shocked him more was that he responded in the same type of voice: _"What are you doing here?"_

_"Laying my eggs."_  She looked slightly puzzled at him, seeing that he, too, was puzzled.  _"You can speak parseltongue?"_

_"Parseltongue?"_

_"The language of snakes."_

The teenager looked at Lena, who was standing wide-eyed several feet away.  Though he knew the answer, he still had to ask, too shocked by his discovery.  "Wasn't Slytherin able to talk to snakes?"

"Yeah…"

"I've got it!"

"I'm sure you have," she said, her eyes still wide, looking at the ash-colored snake.

He could not believe he had not thought of it before.  It was _so_ simple!

As he began to form his new plan, a wave of sleep came over him and he decided it could wait till the next evening.  He smiled at the serpent, pleased that it had shown up when it did.  But then he frowned, remembering what he had read about these serpents.  Though they were not really dangerous themselves, their eggs were quite troublesome.  He would have to make some excuse for finding the eggs once the snake was gone since they could burn everything in the common room as they reached maturity.

_"I shall leave you to your business, Lady."_

_"Thank you."_

The serpent slide back under the moved chair and Tom turned back to Lena, whose shocked look seemed to have waned.  He smiled at her, but she did not smile back as she rolled everything over in her mind.  He walked back to her.

"One of us should have realized…"

"But I've never encountered a snake, even in Care of Magical Creatures.  I didn't know I could speak Parseltongue."

"Still, you _are_ an heir of Slytherin…"

"I might not have been born with the gift, though.  That _is_ entirely possible you know."  He kissed her on the lips.  "Go and get your rest.  I'll see you at breakfast."

With a nod, Lena disappeared under the cloak and left the common room.  Tom, though, looked back to where the snake was still muttering to herself.  It was so similar, that had to be the answer.  He smirked as he headed back to his room.  He had found out all the mysteries finally.  He knew where it was (or at least he was pretty sure he knew where it was), he knew what was within the Chamber and how to control it, and he knew how he wanted to do it all.  As he settled back down to go to sleep, he smirked.  Tomorrow…tomorrow was finally the day when he would enter the Chamber.

***

To my reviewers – 

demon horse 900 – well…the reason it's so long is because I'm covering all seven of Tom's years in it…and believe me, there are somethings that I just don't want to leave out…if I didn't have some characters, like Lena for instance, it might only have ended up being 50, but what's a few more chapters and a few good characters, eh?  ^_~  And please don't think that I don't like Snape…when did I ever say that?!  *blinks*  Severus is one of my *favorite* characters…even if I do agree with the Harry and them and think that he's not really on Albus' side…just an inkling is all…but he's great, really is…I especially love trying to figure out all his psychological things…and why was the tarot reading so creepy?  I thought it would be a good idea to do that…actually show that there are some people that are *good* at teaching divination too…

Liv – jumping on your bed?  Why???  And why do you love Tom so much?  What did he do that makes you love him more than usual?  Eh?

EVRWYD4YU – yes, he is getting ever closer…and I think that in this chapter he got as close as he can come without actually going down there…but that's next chapter…*cheers*…he's finally to the Chamber…*sigh, wipes sweat from brow*…and the upcoming chapters were the hardest chapters for me to write so far for this part of the story, so please *do* enjoy them…and it wasn't a ghost that's doing the whispering…*shakes head*…

RivanKnight – the Chamber will be opened in the next chapter…okay?  ^_^  *devourers chocolate cupcake*…mmm…


	31. The Chamber

A/N : well…I don't know when the next time is going to be when I can update…getting married and moving 900 miles is a pretty big thing, you know…and then I need to get internet access again…but don't worry…I'll not forget about you all…^_~…do hope this chapter is up to par…

Chapter #31 – The Chamber 

The next day, Tom could hardly sit through all his classes. He passed the girls' toilet on the second floor several times on his way to and from his classes, each time itching to go in but knowing better than to do it in the middle of the day with other students about. He kept wondering where the entrance was hidden in there and what the Chamber would look like once he finally found it.

Finally his last class was over, but he knew he had to wait still longer. He got up the books he needed to do some of his assignments with then headed to library to work on them with Nathan and Lena. He only needed to wait a few hours more. But he was plenty patient.  He had already waited nearly four years so he knew he could wait about two more hours.

When it got time for dinner, the three of them walked to the Great Hall, saying that they would go down to the Slytherin House to finish up their work, but Tom would not be joining them, even though he said that he would be down there.  The little time until his planned departure dwindled away as he ate dinner.  Tom did not rush through dinner, as he wanted to.  He would wait until dessert was out on the table before he went up to the girls' toilet. But, right before he did leave, he looked up at Professor Dumbledore, seeing that he was watching him intently. He wanted to give the auburn-haired professor an evil smirk, but he did not. There was something about that old man he did not like and he would find out what it was.  But now was not the time…

Tom took his leave with the excuse of needing to go get something from the library he forgot and left the Great Hall. Lena watched him leave, wondering where he was going since he had said he they would finish their homework after dinner. She shrugged it off and went back to her pumpkin-iced cake.

Meanwhile, Tom slipped down the completely empty second floor corridor and stopped in fron to the door to the girls' toilet. He opened the door and, hearing no one inside, he entered. He walked around, looking over everything, trying to figure out where the entrance was. There was no indication of secret panels or doors or anything. He said some of the revealing spells he had learned but there was nothing.

After searching around the toilets, the door, all the walls, and windows, he approached the sinks. He walked back and forth in front of them several times, looking at the long mirror that was over the row of sinks and at the area under the sinks. It all _looked_ solid enough. But as he did another trip pass the sinks, looking at the basins, faucets, and taps themselves, something caught his attention. A small snake etched into the metalwork on one of the taps.  This had to be it. He turned the tap to start the water, but no water came out, nor did any door open, but that would have been far to easy to have found if it _was_ the trigger to get in.

For a moment he looked at the faucet, thinking. Then it struck him…Parseltongue! That was why no other spells worked trying to get in.  Salazar had made it so only one of his _true_ heirs – a Parselmouth – could get into the Chamber. That person would have had to be able to talk to the serpent to have even stood a chance against it. And all it probably took was a simple word.

_"Open,"_ he said in Parseltongue without even have to try.

And the secret entrance _did_ open. That particular tap began to glow brightly, spinning. The sink suddenly slid down and out of sight.  It had made no noise as it did so, drawing no attention from anyone that might happen to be passing. There, behind where the sink had stood, was a long, wide pipe, so dark he could not see the bottom.

Though he had no idea how deep it was, he was not going to turn back now. Taking a deep breath, he moved forward and slid into the pipe, dropping quickly into the darkness.  Downward he went, twisting and turning along the pipe's slimy surface. It seemed to be endless.  He knew this was going deeper than even the deepest part of the dungeons.

Suddenly the pipe leveled out and he slid from the pipe, landing somewhat hard on the damp surface.  He stumbled to his feet and looked around. All was darkness. He drew his wand, said "lumos," and the cavern lit up for a few feet in front of him but the darkness was still so thick that it could not penetrate much beyond that. There was a deadly silence around him.  As he took a step forward, he heard his foot crunch on something.  He looked down and saw the ground was littered with bones of small rodents, as well as a few larger creatures.

Tom walked away from where he had landed in the cavern, looking around as much as he could in the darkness. The tunnel twisted and turned through the darkness and Tom felt as though he might get lost, but there was something pulling him, as though it were instinct that he knew where to go. Around one last bend he saw it, the way into the Chamber.

Though it seemed like solid wall, that was much the way the entrance to Slytherin House was constructed. What gave it away as an entrance was the fact that there were two entwined stone serpents on the wall with their eyes set with large emeralds which shimmered in his wandlight. He smiled.

_"Open,"_ he commanded the wall, and they slid away, just as the wall to his own house did.

Taking a deep breath, he entered. All of his hopes and worries flooded back to him. Would the basilisk still be alive after all these centuries? Would it even obey him if it was? Would it run amuck through the school killing everyone it saw, starved after all this time, or would it be patient and do his bidding? He looked around the dimly lit chamber, seeing no great snake slithering around, wondering who had disturbed it after so long. He feared that the snake might be long dead after all. But what about the whispers he had heard before?

The Chamber's dim greenish glow gave enough light for Tom to see clearly, but his wandlight helped as well. The room was lined with massive, snake-entwined columns that rose up into the unpenetrable darkness that prevented him from seeing how high this cavernous room was. On the far side of the chamber was a high statue of his ancestor, in all his bearded glory, looming just high enough for his forehead to be hidden in darkness, beard falling to the hem of his long robes. There was an air about the place that made him feel at ease, even though he knew there was a deadly creature possibly lurking somewhere within.

As he walked deeper into the chamber, towards the statue, he called out: _"Great serpent, if you are here, I ask that you show yourself."_

There suddenly came a voice from within the chamber, echoing around it.  _"Who is it that calls me forth?"_

Tom was about to say his given name, the name his mother had given him…his _father's_ name, but he did not.  He would not pollute this place with that name. _"I am Lord Voldemort, the last heir of Salazar Slytherin."_

The statue's face began to move. It sounded as though there were something moving within it. Tom stopped, looking at the statue, watching. A gigantic, vivid green serpent slithered down onto the floor of the chamber from the statue's mouth, looking towards Tom, though clearly not making eye contact. Its body was sleek and thick.  It had to be more than sixty feet long. Its eyes shone in the dim light of the chamber, making them seem to glow golden.

_"And so I shall  speak to you."_ The serpent looked towards him, still not making eye contact. _"Why has it been so long?"_

_"Slytherin never told anyone where to find you. He left the school and never returned."_

_"Left me? Left without telling me 'goodbye?'"_

For a moment Tom did not know what to say. _ "I have come, though. I wish to finish his work. I want to make his dream come true."_

The serpent hissed, somewhat angrily. _"I was left by him. Why should I help you?"_

_"Because I will not leave you, not as he did at least."_

The basilisk turned to him fully, its eyes making contact with his, yet he did not fall dead nor was he petrified. They could look upon each other.  Tom smiled, seeing the snake respond to this with slight surprise. It then began to slither towards him across the cold stone floor. Stopping in front of him, it looked at him, straight in the eyes.

_"You are his true heir, unlike others that have claimed it."_

_"Others have found you?"_

_"Few."_ Its tongue flicked out, smelling him. _"Only his heirs retained the magic he used to protect himself from my gaze."_

Tom was silent for a while, gazing at the beautiful basilisk.  He then looked up, meeting its gaze.  _"Will you help me?"_

The great serpent did not answer for a moment, looking at him, studying him more. It drew back some, making some strange noise. _"I shall, Voldemort. It has been long since I last could leave these caverns."_

_"You have been out of the Chamber?"_

_"Yes, the entrance to the Chamber responds to me, but not the entrances into the castle. I had to leave to hunt, to stay alive."_

_"But now you shall have better food to hunt than rodents."_

Making a noise of pleasure, the huge snake seemed to smile, its yellow eyes glinting evilly.

***

To my reviewers – 

EVRWYD4YU – shaking with excitement?  Really?  Is it all that good?  Hope you liked this chapter…*huggle*…

Liv – you like how he found out about his little ability?  ^_^  I'm glad you did…I thought it would be good as well…I rather like ashwinders…they're interesting creatures…hope you liked this chapter…

***

Review me and let me know what you think so far…I really want to know what all my readers thing of my story…especially since we're getting into some parts that were particularly difficult for me to get the way they are…


	32. Waiting for Tom

A/N - YEAH!!! I'm finally back all…^_^…and I hope to keep updating regularly…hope you all enjoy this chapter…

Chapter #32 – Waiting for Tom

When dinner was over, Lena had told Nathan that she still planned to go down to the room, if he would let her in. He nodded and told her that he would meet her up by the library since there was a book he needed to get before he went back to the dormitory. Lena hurried to get the Cloak, tossed it on, then hurried to the library to meet him. Once he was out and sure that she was with him, they walked back to the Slytherin Common Room together. He let her in but did not go to the room with her. His girlfriend had called him over to him so he went to go sit with her.

Though she had no one to walk to the room with her, she knew her way and there was no one that would see the door open. She slipped into the room but Tom was not there, nor were any of the other guys. She took off the Cloak, went to Tom's bed, and sat down, starting to read a book for one of her classes. She leaned against the mahogany headboard and sighed, hoping Tom would be back soon.

After about an hour, the door opened and Lena looked up, hopeful. It was Darcy. He came in and looked straight at Lena. He rolled his eyes and went to his bed, not saying a word. Lena went back to her book and continued reading for about another hour before the door opened again. This time it was Crinis. He looked at her and smiled.

"Waiting on Tom?"

"Yeah, is he in the common room now?"

"No. Haven't seen him since he left at dinner."

"I wonder where he could be." She looked a little worried. She looked at the Cloak, wondering why he had not taken it if he had gone searching. "Could he have…"

"Could he have what?"

"It's nothing." She smiled slightly at Crinis, remember some things he had told her before. "If he doesn't come in before I leave, I think I know how to find him."

"Alright. But if _you're_ worried, I think we should all go try and find him if he doesn't show up soon."

"Don't worry about it, I can find him."

Crinis nodded, grabbed whatever he needed, then headed out of the room again. Lena went back to her book. It did not take her long to finish what she was reading then she went to her notes from History of Magic, referencing them to several books she had found in the library. She liked being thorough in her knowledge of history since it _was_ her favorite subject, which even surprised some of her fellow Ravenclaws.

It was about an hour later, when she had begun studying for the potion she would be doing the next day in Professor Corris' class when the door flung open. Tom came running in the room, his clothing soaked with a foul smelling slime. He was smiling, though, as he ran to his bed when he saw Lena there. He seemed to be bouncing with joy.

"I found it," he whispered excitedly.

"Go and take a bath!" Lena pushed him away, careful to get as little slime as possible on herself and the bed. She pulled away from him with a look of utter disgust, her face scrunched up from the scent of the stuff that was nearly drenching him. "You smell _horrible_!"

He said nothing as he turned, still smiling, and nearly skipped out of the room. Lena watched him as he left to go bathe. So, he had found it finally. He would have to tell her everything he could. This would most certainly be interesting. She looked over to Darcy, who was still on his bed and looking shocked. She smiled at him then went back to her studying.

When Tom came back from the boys' shower, he was wrapped in only a towel around his waist and was still grinning. He walked to Lena and leaned to her, kissing her lips when she turned away from her book. They smiled at each other. He then went to his chest, the smile still on his face, and pulled out a clean pair of pajamas, taking off the towel.

"So," Lena's eyes looked over his handsome, nude body, "are you going to tell me about where you've been?"

"Like I said, I found the Chamber," he said, still grinning, as he pulled on his pajama top.

"I know you said that, but…well…how did you find it? I mean…did you know somewhere all along?"

"Yes, actually. Like I was supposed to know where to look. I just never followed through to going to look there."

"So _where_ did you find it?"

"The Chamber is really deep under the castle." He pulled on his pajama bottoms. "The entrance is right down from where we keep the Cloak on the second floor, actually. It's down a pipe that's in the girls' toilet there."

The look on Lena's face was completely disbelieving and shocked. She struggled to grasp what he had just said. "You found it _where_?"

"It was behind the sinks, down a long pipe, in the girls' toilet on the second floor."

"A _girls'_ toilet?!"

"I checked to make sure there was no one in it before I went in there." He gave a slight chuckle. "I would never have thought it was down a pipe, though. Plumbing is modern."

"No, it's not." Her knowledge of history was welling up and she just _had_ to correct him. "The Muggle Romans had plumbing _and_ hot running water. It was common for really nice wizarding places to have plumbing, even when this castle was built. It would have been _very_ easy for Slytherin to have hidden it there."

"So where does the stuff from the toilets go, then? I doubt they had sewage systems back then."

"To the lake."

"The lake?" He shuddered. "That's the last time I go swimming in it."

Lena laughed.

Tom smiled as he walked to the edge of the bed, sitting down near her feet. "She's a very beautiful snake, though."

"'She?'" She was a little surprised by this. "It's a female?"

"Yes. The males are supposed to have a plume of scarlet feathers on their head but this basilisk didn't have that so I knew it was a female."

"Does she have a name?"

"Lilith."

"Seems very fitting." She smiled. "Could I go see her?"

"See her?!"

Lena frowned. "You don't want me to?"

"She could very easily kill you!"

"Then tell her to cast her eyes elsewhere."

"Lena…"

"Please," she pleaded in a cute voice, folding her hands as though she were begging.

Tom sighed. At times it was hard to deny her anything, but this was definately _not_ one of those times. "No. You will not be going down to see her."

"Why?"

"Because, I do not want to risk losing you. You _are_ important to me." He looked at her seriously, glaring at her. "You will not go…"

Lena huffed.

"…_unless_ she agrees to see you," he said, a slight hiss in his voice.

With a somewhat renewed hope, she nodded.

***

To my reviewers -

demon horse 900 - yep…I got hitched…feels like a long time ago now too…two and a half weeks…wow…anyway…you know…I'd never noticed Tom in the film could look upon the serpent until I really watched that part…

RivanKnight - A Voldie movie? *drools* That would be quite nice…*giggles*…glad you think it all well-written…and I hope my plot's thought out…been working on it for over a year…and to think…book five really opened my eyes to how much of an ass Voldemort is…*huggles him*…oh…I love Master sooo much…

CheshireCat283 - why'd you have to change your name here because of your internet provider? *scratches head* *shrugs* congrats on getting kissed…^_~… And how could you give up Tom for Draco?! It's sacrilege! If it were Lucius…*grin*………did you like the name I gave her? I had thought of it a long time ago…it has two mythic characters named the same - a Babylonian snake demoness who ate children and, from Jewish belief (and if anyone knows I'm really wrong here, tell me), Lilith was Adam's first wife and the actual one who sent the serpent to Eve…


	33. Back to the Chamber

A/N - Hey…just as a reminder…I don't own Harry Potter…HP is copyright and trademarked to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and WB…I am only using them here for nonprofit, entertainment purposes only…the only property I claim herein are my OC's (Lena, Korbin, Crinis, etc.)…please see first chapter for all my thanks there, though it is actually incomplete…updated thanks to be added to first chapter of the second story in this trilogy…enjoy…^_^

Chapter #33 – Back to the Chamber

Over the next few days, Tom's friends kept him in either the dormitory or the library so he would finish his homework before he completely brushed it aside. Tom had expected all of them to act that way so he told Lilith that he might not have a chance to get back down there for a few days. Though to her a few days was hardly a wait since she _was_ over nine hundred years old, for Tom one day was far too long and he had to force himself each day to not return to the Chamber. He would be able to go back soon enough, though, so he could start going over his plans with her…and to learn what his ancestor's had been.

It was the first day of the Christmas holiday before he was able to go back down into the Chamber, though this time prepared with a spell so his robes would not get filthy. When he called Lilith out, she slithered to him quickly and quietly. Though Tom had meant to start discussing how they would go about cleansing the school of the Mudblood filth, their conversation turned to Salazar and what the great serpent remembered about him, which was only slightly more than Tom did. It was interesting hearing her account, though, because her knowledge of him was first-hand. She, though, was keen to know what had happened after he had left the school.

That night quickly passed as they talked about his ancestor. Tom soon grew tired and thought it best to return to his dormitory. The two of them said good night and Tom said he would return in the morning. He was glad to have finished his assignments already because he could spend plenty of time there with her.

Tom only grabbed some toast in the morning and hurried to the Chamber again, saying nothing to his roommates, as they knew where he was going. As he went through the dark tunnel beneath the school, he remember the question that Lena had wanted him to ask the basilisk. He sighed, already knowing what the serpent's answer would be, but he would ask her anyway. He walked to the statue of his ancestor and called Lilith up. She paused at the statue's mouth, her head hanging down, looking at him curiously. She could tell something was on his mind.

__

"You have a question?"

__

"Yes, though I feel I know your answer already."

"Ask, Voldemort."

"My lover…she wishes to know if she can see you."

The snake gave a sound almost like a laugh. _"She wishes to see me though she knows what I am? What I can do to her?"_

"Yes."

"Even Salazar was not fool enough to show me to his beloved Rowena."

Tom remembered what the serpent had told him about those two founders' relationship. He nodded to her_. "I knew that you would say no, but I told her I would still ask."_

"You love this woman much?"

The young man scoffed_. "I do not know if one would call it love."_

"Then lust." She slowly eased from the statue's mouth. _"As you said yesterday, much like Salazar and Rowena's relationship."_

With a slight smile, his mind turned to other things. _"What were my ancestor's plans? Did he discuss them with you?"_

"From the moment I hatched in his tower." She settled onto the floor, flicking her tongue out at him. "_I kept going over his plans in my head to pass those long years I waited for his ancestor to come to me."_

"And what were those plans?"

"To cleanse the school, of course," she voice gave the hint that if she could have she would have smiled.

__

"I know that much. How was he going to carry out those plans?"

"The pipes that leave from these caverns go all over the school. I can even get into the houses themselves if I so wished. It was how Salazar wanted it at first. Though he wanted to go into each house, I am not that keen on finding those with Muggle parentage when there are many wizards around. He did not want to risk my harming the pure bloods. He decided, instead, to either bring the students to me himself or to let me hunt them in the halls."

"Then I have had the same problem and solution myself. My lover does not want me going into the houses as that she has many Mudbloods and pure bloods in her own house. She feared that those of pure blood, like herself, might be attacked. I thought then of the same solution my ancestor did."

"It seems the only solution, and I've had much time to think it over." She made some noise, seemingly one of anticipation. _"But I shall enjoy a good hunt. I would like the exercise."_

"And you shall get it soon, but we must go about this carefully. If either of us are caught…"

"I_ shall be safe, do not doubt that."_

"But there is one professor…none other than the head of Gryffindor House, that, I believe, thinks that I am up to something."

"I am sure he is a Muggle-lover, as nearly all in that house have ever been. I shall kill him first. If it would please you."

Though the idea was one that did not at all disagree with him, he had a feeling it would not work all that well. _"No, we will start with the students. Dumbledore can come later."_

"Very well. When shall we start?"

Tom thought for a moment. He would have liked to have started right then, but he thought he might want to discuss it more with her before they got started. _"Whenever you feel ready."_

"Mmm." She was silent for a moment_. "What season is it?"_

"Winter."

Lilith clearly did not like this, for she turned away muttering to herself. _"I hate the cold."_

"Then we can wait till spring, when the weather turns warm again."

"How long until then?"

"Two or three months. It's been rather unpredictable lately."

"It is not that long of a wait."

"This is very true." Tom could wait. His patience had not run thin yet. _"For now, let us discuss in depth how we will do this. We have plenty of time to do so."_

*********

To my reviewers - 

CheshireCat283 - seems you went through more trouble to get a new ff.net account to me…*shrugs*…you can take Draco…leave Tom for me…k? ^_~…glad you liked the name…but why's Lena bothering you?! Cause she saw Tommy-boy nakkie? *giggles* *looks innocent*

Liv - glad you liked last chapter…hope this one was good too…

demon horse 900 - is it bad that she saw him naked? Not like she hadn't seen him that way before, you know…and yes, mal basilisks have red plumes on their heads, as per Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"…and, hmm, have fun with marriage…*writes that down*…I'll try…but I guess that means no more "crucios" on my hubby, eh?

RiddleLight - if your hotmail account worked you'd know I have no AIM right now…e-mail me you bish and we'll talk that way, eh?

*********

Please review me people…these are getting into my hard chapters and I *really* want to know how I did…I still think they suck a bit but I am my own worst critic after all…if you all see anything wrong, let me know and I'll see about fixing it…thanks for reading…


	34. Dumbledore’s Gaze

A/N : hey all my readers…after next week, it might take me two weeks to get the next chapter up…I will be expecting a short break in my Internet service…but don't worry…I'll be sure to update at least two more times to give you all plenty to drool over…and, as usual, let me know what you thought of the chapter…I really want to know…thanks for reading…

Chapter #34 – Dumbledore's Gaze

The rest of the holiday dwindled away under a large load of homework then classes started again. Work was as it had been in the fall and Tom lost every chance he might have had to go down and talk to Lilith, but they had discussed nearly all there was to discuss concerning what they were going to do and how it would be done. All they had to do was wait for warmer weather to get there.

And yet, Tom started to notice that Dumbledore was paying a lot _more_ attention to him whenever they were near each other. At dinner, no matter how Tom tried to hide, he could always feel the Transfiguration teacher's eyes on him. That gaze had always made him uneasy and now it seemed to be worse. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he could never shake the eerie feeling that he got, as though his thoughts were being read.

For the next month and a half, Tom felt as though Dumbledore's blue eyes were everywhere. He did not dare to even try to go into the Chamber of Secrets, fearing that the professor might see him doing so. It took a lot of talks with all his friends to convince him that there was no way that Dumbledore could be watching him _all_ the time. He calmed down, but was still paranoid because of the auburn haired teacher's gaze.

As the weather began to turn warmer, Tom's mind began to wander a lot. All of his patience was soon going to pay off and he was thinking of how great it would be to finally have a means of vengeance on all the Muggles and Mudbloods he had come to despise. Yet the more his mind lingered on his plans, the more Dumbledore seemed to watch him. This had become very uncomfortable, especially when he was in Tranfiguration with him seeming to watch him like a hawk.

When it felt like spring had finally arrived and the nights were decently warm, Tom decided it was time to go and bring Lilith up from the Chamber and start carrying out their plans. He had not been back down there since the holiday and he was more than ready to finally get back there to see her. He planned to wait till the weekend to go down there, but the weekend suddenly felt so far away.

For more than a week Tom had had dreams punctuating his slumber of the chaos he would soon be inflicting on the castle. These dreams had been coming to him all week while he waited to return to the Chamber, and the more he saw what might happen, the more he wanted to be there with her as she hunted, but he knew better than that. He did not want to be caught, especially by Dumbledore.

On Friday, he was so lost in his thoughts that at one point he lost all interest in the lesson his class was doing. This could have been brushed aside if the class had been any other than Transfiguration. Professor Dumbledore walked up to him with a look that mingled curiosity and a slight hint of hatred, his icy blue eyes staring at the prefect over his half moon spectacles.

"Mr. Riddle!"

Tom started, looking at the head of Gryffindor House with a similar look. "Sorry, Professor. I was just…"

"Thinking things I think are best kept to yourself." The way he spoke made Tom think he knew something he should not. "Please keep your mind on class."

"Yes, Professor. Sorry, Professor."

Dumbledore turned on his heel and started going around the class, examining the work done by the other Slytherins. Tom glared after the professor, wondering what he could possibly know about his thoughts. He went back to focusing his attention on vanishing the ferret in front of him. At least these spells useful. Some of the other things they had learned in this class, like when he had to change a miniature pumpkin in to a miniature carriage, he honestly did not understand because it was just _not_ practical. He was not some stupid faerie godmother – he was a wizard. He _really_ hoped that this was going to be his last year taking Transfiguration. He sighed, said the incantation, and the ferret disappeared. It was flawless, like always.

The professor came back over a few minutes later, having noticed his vanishing of the ferret, and nodded to him. "Now conjure it back." Tom did so. The professor checked to make sure the ferret had everything still correct on it then nodded again. "Full marks, Riddle."

As he walked away to check another student's work, Tom glared after him yet again. Dumbledore annoyed him greatly. He wanted to find out why. How was it Dumbledore seemed able to sense what he was up to? What type of power did he have?

Soon that class was over and there was only Charms left for that day. That class seemed to get over sooner than he thought it would and he rushed back to his room, tossed down his things, then was about to go back out when Darcy stopped him. For a moment they glared at each other before Macnair finally spoke.

"Look, _Voldemort_, there is no need for you to be going down there this early. You have plenty of time to go down there this weekend. Get at least _some_ of your assignments done, go to dinner, _then_ go down there."

"I know I should wait," he hissed, "but I've felt like I've waited too long."

"Wait until after dinner." Nathan had just walked in the door but he still knew what was going on. He tossed his bag onto his bed and looked at Tom. "Do your homework now or it won't get done at all."

Tom sighed heavily as reason sunk in. Darcy and Nathan were right. He nodded. He was just a little _too_ anxious to get back down there, though it had been a while. He picked his books back up and said he was going to the library. He knew Crinis was already there, pouring over books on various means of divination, which they needed to write a six foot essay that was due in a week, which was the beginning of the review for their OWLs for that class. He wanted more than anything to learn some spell that would do his work for him, or at least some of it.

For the rest of the afternoon, he stayed in the library with Crinis working on his essay for Professor Orasi. Crinis had been doing much better in that class than Tom had since they had started it and Orasi always told Crinis that he must have the gift of the Inner Eye, though he did not believe it. With all the searching he had done before in the library, Tom already knew where some helpful books might be and he found several that his friend had not. His note-taking while he had search for the Chamber also came in handy, for he was nearly half finished when Crinis said it was time for dinner. He packed up, checked out his books, and followed Crinis to the Great Hall.

As he had done several times before, he planned to slip out at dessert. He could feel Dumbledore gazing at him throughout the meal and looked at him a few times. Before he left, he grabbed a cookie and looked up at the Transfiguration professor again. This time he was not looking at him but instead talking to Professor Mercer. He told his roommates he would see them later as he stood, glad to be getting out of there. He slipped out of the Great Hall and hurried to the second floor. He checked to make sure no one was in the girls' toilet then entered.

***

To my reviewers – 

Liv – glad you thought the last chapter was cool…like I keep saying…I'm worried about these chapters…they're not the greatest in the world…but they have to do because I just can't think of another way to do them…

CheshireCat283 – is your memory that bad? Well, if you couldn't remember why she bugged you it must not have been that major of a thing…and you have Draco now so if it was about her having Tom, then you should be over it…^_~…and I'm so glad you like Lilith…there's one part later on (like in chapter 53) which makes me love her sooo much…she's so great…*giggles*…*pets the giant deadly snake*…good girl…you get to go hunting next chapter…*realizes she's being watched…sweatdrop*…

Mella deRanged – Tom's typical?! *bursts into tears* no…no…master can't be typical…*cries*…*sniffles*…uh, sorry…hmm…well, sorry I made him seem un-Tom like in your mind…any ideas on how I can make him a better future Dark Lord?

Catz – glad you like the story…and, um…though I don't post that often…is a chapter a day good enough for writing fast?

RiddleLight – :-P I'll hopefully be on AIM soon, though under a different name, so keep your robes on, Miss Briar…and I might be e-mailing you more chapters soon…so be giddy…

demon horse 900 – I'm so glad you thought the last chapter was good…hope that keeps up for the next couple of chapters when the attacks start…and the "crucios", well, *giggles* that was just part of my insanity…pay no attention to it…^_~…

***

Hey all…please give me a review, okay? It'll really mean a lot to me…and they let me know how I'm doing with the story…thanks…


	35. First Victim

A/N : Eep! Sooo sorry about not getting those two chapters posted last week… the good thing is that I have no problem with my internet…^_^…but, with the chaos of my husband leaving for three month, getting ready to see my parents, and MS Word deciding to screw up, I had a little more on my mind than Harry Potter…though I think that has to be a sin to some people (especially me!)…here's the next chapter…hope you all think I did as good of a job on this one as on my other chapters…this *is* the most awkward chapter in the entire story and it got rewritten many times…so I hope it's good…

Chapter #35 – First Victim

Tom approached the great statue of his ancestor, ready for this all to begin. _"Come, speak to me, Slytherin."_

Lilith quickly slithered up from the depths of the statue and eased down onto the cold stone floor. They looked at each other and Tom smiled. They were both ready for this to begin. They had both had to wait for so long.

After their discussions during the Christmas holiday, Tom knew what would be going on as the basilisk roamed the corridors. He had been very intrigued with it all but he still had reason to be worried. Though she had two very formidable means of killing her prey – her fangs and her gaze – their outcomes were quite different. If she succeeded at sneaking up on the Mudbloods, she would poison them and eat them, as any venomous serpent did, and this was her preferred means of killing. But, if their gazes met, she _could not_ eat them, even if she _had_ killed them. Her gaze made them inedible, though even petrifying them would provide her with _some_ sustenance.

It would be difficult to hide the attacks, if any of the students met her gaze. Everyone would know there had been some sort of attack. Though these attacks could easily be concealed with transfigurations, fifth years had not started any human transformations – and that was one thing that Dumbledore's class would actually come in handy for.

__

"It is time," she asked, seeming more anxious than he did.

__

"Almost."

Lilith slithered around him in a circle. _"Getting out will feel so good."_

"I'm sure."

The serpent looked at him, a bit of worry in her shining yellow eyes_. "I hope all our plans are fulfilled. It has been so many years, so many centuries since these plans were first made."_

"You are wonderful, Lilith. I know it will work," Tom said, smiling at her, running a hand down her side as she slid by.

__

"Say that only after the plans are finished. There are too many things that can go wrong."

"Do not be pessimistic. You have been worrying too much."

"Only when we have accomplished much of our work will I not be worried. Even Salazar was worried of Godric."

"Yet Godric is not here. No one knows of you but myself and my closest of friends. And I am assured of your abilities."

"That may be so, but," she began to slither towards the Chamber's entrance, ready to leave, to get this started, _"I shall still worry, Voldemort."_

Tom nodded, understanding. She did have every right to worry for her safety. But, at least they had no roosters on the grounds that would be a threat to her with their crowing. His worry rested mainly in Dumbledore. Though Godric Gryffindor himself might be long dead, Dumbledore could most certainly fill the part. But what protection could he have against the snake? If he ran across the serpent, he was just as vulnerable as anyone else was.

The two of them left the Chamber and began to slowly walk back down the tunnel to where the main pipe led down into the caverns, trying to give the majority of the students enough time to get back to their houses before Lilith went out. There was no need for the halls to be swarming with people. There was silence between them as they went. There was too much anticipation between them for words at the moment. When they reached the bottom of the pipe, they stopped and looked at each other, Tom grinning. They went up the pipe and Tom made sure that there was no one that would see them emerge. Once they were in the lavatory, Tom told Lilith that he would wait for her to return since that entrance did not respond to her commands.

The giant snake slithered off out through the door, which was actually just large enough for her to fit through. Tom watched her go. He so wanted to go with her but knew that she would be better by herself. Her skin was nearly as tough as dragon's hide against spells so if she was actually spotted then she could deal with it herself. But, it was very unlikely anyway that she would be seen, for she had been given special potions by Salazar that granted her the ability to disillusion herself at will, which would basically make her invisible to anyone in the halls. The main thing that worried him, though, was if someone literal ran into her because of her size – she was nearly sixty feet long and as thick as a tree trunk after all. He wondered if she also might have some ability to become incorporeal.

When she had gone out into the dimly lit corridor, Tom hurried across the hall, grabbed the Invisibility Cloak from its usual hiding place, and returned to the secret entrance. Wrapped in the Cloak, no one would know he was there unless they ran into him, much like would be the case with Lilith. He pulled out a book and began to read while he waited for the basilisk's return.

It felt like nearly an hour to Tom before he could hear the huge serpent making her way back to the toilet. He stood, listening carefully to her mutterings. She did not seem to be happy and Tom frowned. He had told her to return if she did not catch anyone or if she were threatened in any way. He wondered which was the case. He sighed.

When she began to slither through the doorway, Tom opened the entrance to the Chamber and slid down. She followed him. As soon as she was all down, Tom looked at her. He could tell simply by her look she had not succeeded. He rubbed her blunt head but she turned away, seemingly unhappy with herself. She did not speak.

__

"Lilith?"

"I caught a Mudblood, yes. But she caught my gaze in a window before I reached her."

Tom leaned back against the cavern wall with a slight groan. _"Petrified."_

"That Mudblood has whetted my taste." She made a noise as though pleased. _"I wished I could have stayed out longer."_

"Why did you not?"

"I heard teachers coming the way I was going to head. I headed back here. I did not wish to be caught. One of them," she flicked her tongue out, _"I did not like his smell."_

"Possibly Dumbledore then." 

The two of them began heading back to the Chamber. Silence followed them for sometime. There seemed to be no need for them to speak in their disappointment.

__

"Voldemort."

"Yes?"

"When shall you be able to return here?"

"I shall try to be back in a week. I still have much work to do for my classes. Being a student is certainly not very help in trying to carry out our plans."

Lilith made some noise, somewhere between understanding and disappointment. _"It seems like a long wait."_

"Yes."

"But, time has a different meaning to me. Your weeks do not seem a week to me."

"As ancient as you are, I would not disbelieve you see time differently, especially since you cannot see the sun from these caverns."

Tom said his farewell to Lilith at the entrance to the Chamber and returned to head back to the main castle. At least she had not been caught. She was the key to him achieving all his goals, both within the school and elsewhere. He smiled as he left the girls' toilet, the Cloak hiding him from any watching eyes. He did not care who it was that had been attacked, he would surely find out in the morning. He went to sleep, dreaming again of how great it would be to fulfill everything that he desired to.

Yet, in the morning, when the school was abuzz at the events of the previous night, Tom did start to care just a little. It seemed that the girl had been Traci Webster, a fifth year Gryffindor. She was very smart and the keeper for the Gryffindor House Quidditch team. She was much beloved by the school for her great prowess on her broom. The Slytherins, however, were very pleased with this because with her out of the game they were sure to get the House Cup that year.

The headmaster announced that she was still alive, but she had apparently been petrified. She was being kept under watch in the Hospital Wing until they could have someone from St. Mungo's come and have a look at her to try and sort things out, as that nothing the teachers had done had returned her to normal. They asked for whomever had attacked her, or anyone that knew anything about it, to come forward and explain this to one of the professors. Tom only sniggered, and his friends knew exactly what had happened and they all smiled slightly.

The Slytherin prefect, though, again felt the familiar sensation of his being watched by a pair of blue eyes. He looked up at Dumbledore, who looked more than upset over the attack of one of the students in his house. His expression was near anger, but he was hiding it well from everyone else. Tom knew better, though. Yes, that professor suspected, but he had no evidence to go by, so there was no way he could be accused.

But…perhaps he should do something to let the school know who was behind the attacks…even if that would tell Dumbledore who he really was. He smirked, starting his plans for this new turn of events.

***

To my reviewers –

demon horse 900 – you really felt like someone was watching you? *grin* Didn't think I was *that* good at writing things like that…and, yes, I am insane – but not quite that insane…^_~

Liv – glad you loved it…and I agree with the other Tom fics…I've read some horrible ones myself…that's the main reason I decided to write this one…hope you continue to love the story…you've got a good ways to still go…

***

Hey all…please give me a review…^_^


	36. Rubeus

A/N : Hello again, everyone!!! ^_^ I'm back with another update…this was the second worst chapter for me to write…it's got some little add-ins here because of the fifth book…I'm sure that you'll be able to pick them out with little difficulty if you've gotten the book read…with all those little similarities between Tom and Harry I just added another one here…^_~…do enjoy…

Chapter #36 – Rubeus

The next weekend Tom again was able to let Lilith out of the Chamber. While she was out, Tom took a can of magical emerald green paint that he had concocted and wrote a short, simple message on the wall just down from the girls' toilet. It read: "The Chamber is opened. The heir has come. Mudbloods beware." He smiled at his work then slipped back into the lavatory and waited. He hoped Lilith was successful this time.

When the basilisk returned, Tom knew that she had again gotten someone, but again it had not been fully successful. This time the victim had been a second year Hufflepuff named Flint McKinnon. Both of the now petrified students were taken from Madam Valen's care and sent to St. Mungo's to await the preparation of a potion that would restore them to normal, though it would be nearly the end of the school year before the potion could be administered to them.

With Tom's message written on the wall, many students were now terrified and those students that were well-read on the school's legends knew what was meant by it. Even though the headmaster told the caretaker, Mr. Pringle, to clean it off, he could not, for the spells that Tom put on it would make it stick for a long time. Many of the Gryffindors, being the brave fools that they always seemed to be, began trying to figure out as much as they could, saying that they would find the person behind the attacks and turn them in to rid the school of the menace. When the Gryffindors and Slytherins were together in either Potions or Care of Magical Creatures, they were bothered to no end, especially the first years.

When the Quidditch matches started back, it was to much sadness, for it was supposed to have been a quick defeat of Ravenclaw by Gryffindor but with a replacement keeper for Gryffindor, Ravenclaw easily won by seventy points, even though they did not get the snitch. Tom, though, had been unable to see that match because of all the assignments he had, but he was more annoyed at the fact that he could not go down to the Chamber that weekend than in not being able to see the game.

In April, notices were posted with times of appointments for the fifth years to meet with their head of house to discuss what they were going to do after they graduated. Rex was going to go into working with the _Daily Prophet_, for the previous summer his uncle, one of the reporters, had taken him to the newspaper's offices and shown him around. Nathan had always wanted to work with magical beasts in some career such as exotic magical creatures breeding. Darcy was planning to work in his father's office at the Ministry of Magic. Crinis would not talk about what he wanted to do, but all his roommates were very certain that he knew what he was planning to do after he graduated. 

Tom, though, did not see anything really interesting to him in the pamphlets he was given to look through. How his other friends knew what they wanted so readily amazed him, but he looked over the information for hours, thinking about all the possible careers. He had absolutely no idea what he wanted to do, but knew he wanted to keep up his classes in Defense against the Dark Arts. He talked to Lena about what she was going to do, and she told him she was going to work with potions, in some way, like was a tradition in her family. But Tom did not think he would like doing that, even though he did like potions quite a bit. He wanted to find out the best career path he could say that would give him the type of education would be best to his becoming a Dark wizard.

After a while of thinking of it, though, and talking to some of his roommates, he studied a plain black pamphlet that was about going into a career in Auroring. Though it was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do, it would still teach him things that Dark wizards were supposed to know. Though it was hard to become an Auror, the normal law enforcement offices also had similar requirements, though not as strict as those for Auroring, when it came to NEWT classes. It seemed like a good thing to _say_ he was planning to do, at least.

Soon it was time for his appointment with Professor Sidus. He was enthusiastic about the timing too, for it would keep him from being in Transfiguration. He walked into the Astronomy professor's office with a smile on his face. The middle aged man behind the desk across the room motioned to a chair on the other side of the pile of pamphlets in front of him.

"Good afternoon, Professor," Tom said as he took a seat opposite his head of house.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Tom." He looked at his student. "Have you thought of what career path you would like to take?"

"Yes, actually, I was thinking I could be something like an Auror."

"'Something like,'" Sidus asked, looked at his student curiously.

"Yeah, well, I mean I _might_ not actually become an Auror, you know…all the test and all they require you, to show your abilities."

"Yes, yes." Sidus pulled out a piece of paper. "Well, that'll entail your needing to take NEWT classes in Potion – so you know all about poisons and the antidotes, as well as various other things. You'll also need Charms, always helpful. Defense against the Dark Arts is, of course, an obvious course. And, then, you will also be good to take Transfiguration…"

"Tran…Transfiguration," Tom said, shocked, not liking that at all.

"It is a skill that Aurors need to use often. And you are excellent at transfiguring, at least according to Albus' report here." He looked at a piece of paper. "I don't see why you would dislike the class all that much. Professor Dumbledore always says you're a wonderful student and all."

"He…he does?"

"Yes, of course. I don't know of a single teachers who doesn't think you should take their NEWT level classes. But we can't all be that lucky, can we." Sidus looked at Tom's grade file. "And all your scores in your classes seem to point to your getting 'Exceeding Expectations' on your OWLs for all your subjects, if not all 'Outstandings.' I think you are well set to your path of becoming an Auror, Mr. Riddle. You are dismissed then."

And with that Tom left the office, heading to the library. If only his head of house knew that his intent was _not_ to become an Auror at all. His goal was _quite_ the opposite.

With this set up of his classes, he would at least be in at least two classes with Lena. The NEWT classes were to be a combination of all the houses. He would also be having at least two classes with all of his classmates. Despite not seeing his friends that much, though, he thought that this would end up being a very enjoyable way to end his years at Hogwarts. 

It was two and a half more weeks before Tom could get back to let Lilith out again. This time as she wandered the empty corridors on a school night, she ran across a sixth year Ravenclaw couple, both prefects, who were out strolling the corridors, and a third year Gryffindor boy that was returning to his house from the library. But still she was unsuccessful at killing any of them. These three attacks on the same night raised a great panic in the school. Lena, though upset over the fact two Ravenclaws were attacked, let it slide since they _were_ Mudbloods.

Those attacks prompted a heightened sense of security in the castle. The curfew time was pushed from ten to seven, except for the prefects who were taught a few extra spells and were asked to patrol the corridors nightly with the professors and ghosts. There was a call that no students should be walking the halls after dark alone, but most students had already been traveling together after the second attack. Tom did not like his having to be on patrol, it not only took time away from his getting his work done, but he also could not go back down to even see Lilith.

As Tom waited for the next chance to go down to the Chamber, Daniel Black, the main Gryffindor looking for answers in the attacks, started berating the Slytherins anytime he saw one, accusing them all of either being Slytherin's heir or withholding information about who was really behind the attacks. The Slytherins, though, ignored this. They were formulating their own theory, which few others knew about.

For some time, Hagrid, the third year students, whom many believed to be a half giant because of his size, as well as his rather short temper at times, had been spotted going into the dungeons. None of the Slytherins knew what Rubeus was up to and many of them tried to figure it out with no success. Even though there had been the message from the heir of Slytherin on the wall, they still suspected him in the attacks, though they knew he was _not_ the heir of their house's founder. Most of the Slytherins that did not know about Tom thought that he might be the one that was petrifying the students, either because of some revenge that he wanted to exact on the students or because of some creature he had hidden in the dungeons. After Allen Shaffer, one of Hagrid's roommates, was attacked in the triple attack they felt that they were right in their assumptions.

With all sorts of rumors now flying around the school. There was a slightly heightened sense of panic. Muggle-born students were not to be found traveling alone even between classes, but were with friends that were purebloods. Any time a Slytherin student passed by, any Muggle-born would get as far away from them as possible. The Slytherins did not like their house being accused of doing such things and Professor Sidus asked the headmaster to make an announcement that it was just as likely that a student from any other house was the culprit. As the headmaster said that, though, Dumbledore was staring at Tom, just like usual. Tom had begun to suspect that the professor _could_ read minds, but if that were the case, he would have certainly have turned Tom in before then.

The rest of April was rather hard on Tom with OWLs approaching fast. He was spending all his time studying with all the other students of his year in the common room or on patrol with the teachers and other prefects. He was often too busy to even think about going to see Lilith. But one night when he had had enough of studying, he traipsed up to the second floor then went down into the Chamber.

Though it was after the new curfew, Tom had a feeling that there would still be some stragglers out…there always were. Lilith, though, returned unsuccessful. Tom told her that he would return soon, as that he was growing weary of studying so much. He needed a little excitement, and a break. Yet, as he left the Chamber, he wondered if his plans would work if _all_ the students, even the normal rule breakers, were too scared to be out.

Then, as he was about to head towards the entrance to the dungeons, he heard the large doors to the entrance hall open. He glanced back that way and saw none other than the one student most of the Slytherins believed to be the attacker. He smiled and slowly walked towards the huge student, who was creeping as quietly as he could, not paying attention to Tom.

"So," he saw the third year spin around, looking terrified, "it's Rubeus, isn't it?"

The suspected half-giant saw the prefect badge on the teenager's uniform and swallowed hard. He was going to be in a _lot_ of trouble for this, he was sure. "I was jus'…"

"Out for a late night stroll? You know it's past curfew." He saw several dark bruises on the younger student, and his uniform was rather dirty and torn in a spot or two. He smirked. "You seem to have run into something out there."

"I…I was jus'…"

"Just what?"

"Uh…er…"

"What is it that you do out in the forest so much, Rubeus? There's talk that you have some other monster out there that you're keeping as a pet. Some people even suspect…"

"No!" He was not keeping any pets in the forest, and especially none that would have been doing all the attacks. He had heard of what some people were thinking, and it was not true. "It's jus'…well…I…"

"Do you not _remember_ what you were doing out there? Have the bruises affected you that much? Maybe I can jog your memory." He approached Hagrid. "Perhaps you were wrestling with trolls, as some people think?"

"I…uh," he looked very uncomfortable, "yeah. I…I was."

The teenager was surprised he got a confession out of him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Please, please, don' turn meh in."

"I have every right to do so. It's past curfew. And you know that. And the fact that you've gone off into the Forest…"

"I know, but…"

"Why should I let you go?"

Hagrid said nothing, looking down. He was clearly shaking in fright.

Tom chuckled under his breath. He should turn him in, but Tom decided not to do it. There was just something about him, about the entire situation. He motioned up the stairs with a slight nod. "Go on to your house. But if I catch you after curfew again…"

"I understan'," he said quickly.

As the prefect began to turn to go to the dungeons, he stopped, hearing Rubeus not moving up the stairs with his heavy footsteps. He looked over his shoulder at the tall third year.

"It's Tom, righ'?"

Rather surprised that the boy knew his name, Tom nodded. When he saw the half-giant smile, he did not know what to think. Then he watched as the Gryffindor hurried up the stairs. He listened to the boy's fading footsteps for a moment then went back to his own house. There was just something about Rubeus that he felt would help him out. Whatever it was though, he guessed he would have to wait to find out.

*********

To my reviewers – 

Demon horse 900 – correction…husband has been gone for half a month…*sigh*…but that's alright…I haven't broken down into lonely tears yet…and I knew this little separation was going to be coming…it was already planned that he'd leave and all, so I was pretty much prepared…yes…Dumbledore is smart – too smart for his own good…hope your schoolwork is going well…I remember those days…glad I'm outta school finally…hope you liked this chapter…

Liv – did the first paragraph of the story answer your question? ^_^ I thought that if Tom had Ginny do it in the second book and since the school did know it was the Heir of Slytherin doing the attacks, that it was the simplest explanation there was…right? Hope it wasn't too horrible of a way to have that become known…

*********

Hey…everyone that's reading this…please review me… but, hey, I love you even if you don't review…thanks for reading…


	37. A Little Bit of Hope

Chapter #37 – A Little Bit of Hope

One morning in the middle of May, the students suddenly became very cheerful. There was a large article in the _Daily Prophet_ that talked about the pressures the Ministry was under from parents to allow their children to come home since the portkeys had been such a great success with taking the new students to the school. The Ministry was making plans to allow all students to return home for the first time in four years. Though it was not finalized yet, this bothered Tom greatly.

As the word about this spread around the Great Hall, there were several people that said the real reason the parents wanted their children away from the school was because of the attacks. There was much hope that they could go home so they would be safe. Though there had been no more attacks in nearly a month, there was still much fear running amongst the students and the thought of going home was very welcome.

Tom, though, did not like this and was hoping that the plans would not be completed and approved in time because he did not want to go back to Great Hangleton Orphanage. The thought made his blood boil. Having to go back there after all this time would be more strenuous on him than his studying for his OWLs.

As the days wore on, the lingering fear Tom had of having to go back made him start thinking of finally letting Lilith back out. His increasing hatred of the Muggles and Mudbloods was about to drive him over the edge. But, as he planned his trip down to the Chamber, he did not realize that what all the other students had been saying about the attacks was right. His hatred was blinding him of the truth. By letting out Lilith, he was assuring his return to the orphanage.

On the night he had decided to go down to the Chamber, he had been in the library with only Lena since the guys were all studying with their own girlfriends. He stood up suddenly, not able to stand waiting any longer. Lena looked up at him with slight curiosity. He pulled her up then started gathering his things together. Lena followed his example, wondering what he could possibly be thinking.

When they were finished getting their things together, Tom leaned close to the young woman next to him, his voice a whisper. "Stay in your bed tonight."

Her eyes widened. "You're not going to…"

The Slytherin prefect shut her up with a kiss, not caring if they were seen. "I don't want you to possibly be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I'm a pureblood for as far back as I can trace my family." Though her voice was still very quiet, she put a lot of force behind her words. "And Lilith…"

"I just want to be sure." He put his forehead to hers, staring into her eyes. "Now go on to bed."

Lena nodded then kissed his nose softly. She pulled away from him and they headed out of the library, Tom heading to the second floor, she to the Ravenclaw tower.

As she made her way back to the Ravenclaw common room, she saw Rubeus hurrying off down towards the entrance hall. She paused for a moment, thinking about it. She remembered what Tom had told her about their little encounter about a week before. She had a strange feeling about him, just as Tom said he had had. She shook her head, though, and went on towards her house.

Tom was hurrying to the girls' toilet, even if he would not get in trouble for being in the corridors since he was a prefect and it was not yet curfew. His desire to get her out into the school was maddening him. He got there and opened the secret entrance then slid down the pipe, used to the routine by now. When he reached the Chamber, he found Lilith more than happy to see him. She quickly left the Chamber, ready to go back out into the halls to hunt, hungry…

This time, as Tom waited, he thought that it might have actually have been better to have brought the students down to her. They would have just vanished, then no one would have known the Mudbloods were dead…for he would have assured himself that each one of them had died. But then he remembered why Lilith and he had decided to do it this way: he could not tell as well as she who was Mudbloods and who were not.

With a sigh, his thoughts then turned to his hatred of the orphanage. If only he could take the basilisk with him now. If only he could set it loose on all of Great Hangleton. He smiled. If only he could, for a moment, show her to his father. That would be the most wonderful moment of his life. His mind rested on the image of his father's terrified face for some time.

When Lilith returned finally, she was muttering to herself about windows and reflections. Tom knew that, again, she had only succeeded at petrifying a Mudblood. He too was getting tired of all the petrifications. He feared that when those Mudbloods were revived, they would tell what they had seen, that it had been a giant snake, and that could be bad.

Once he told Lilith good night and that he would return soon, he slipped back to the dungeons under the Invisibility Cloak, in case there were teachers about looking for the culprit of the latest attack. He did hear their voices, but they were far enough away to not be a threat. He got to his bed and went to sleep, not expecting what would happen in the morning.

***

It was announced in the morning that Philip Reed, a fourth year Hufflepuff had been attacked. He had already been sent to St. Mungo's to receive care. Then, much to Tom's horror, the headmaster announced that the draught that would revive the students was going to be ready in only a week. He continued, saying that those students, though, would not be returning to classes that year as that their parents wanted them home after what had happened to them.

Tom was overcome with fear, more than he had been the night before when it had just slightly come to mind. This could have the worst outcome possible. He sighed, hoping against hope it seemed that they would not remember anything about what had happened to them. He guessed he would have to wait and see what was said about it. Surely Headmaster Dippet would let the school know what the Mudbloods had said, if anything.

And then, as he thought of all that was going on, he got that feeling again. He was being watched by that pair of icy blue eyes he hated so much. He looked up at the teachers' table and looked straight at Dumbledore, who stared right back at him. Yes, that old man knew something, but he could not prove it. Whether he could read minds or whatever, Tom was sure that he knew. He swallowed hard, though, uneasy under the Transfiguration professor's gaze. He quickly went back to breakfast, glowering over the _Daily Prophet_ article about the Ministry's plan to return all children home for the holiday.

***

To my reviewers – 

Liv – well, actually, it was red paint that Ginny painted on the wall with…I think they just said "blood" in the movie to make it sound scarier…*shrugs*…though I did just realize that Ginny used red and I have Tom using green and they're the colors of their houses…

demon horse 900 – yes…it was a bit like friendship…I tried to make it out that Rubeus looked up to Tom…no parents, a bit looked down upon (though in different way), he's a "model" student, etc. …and I'm glad you think the whole story seems believable, that's what I try for in my stories…hmm, letters…it's an idea…but it'd be kinda hard for him to get them…


	38. Myrtle

Chapter #38 – Myrtle

The more that the paper talked of the plans the Ministry was making, the more Tom was desperate to find some way to stay. But, with the OWLs nearly there, there was nothing Tom could really do but study. He had heard from other prefects that the tests were indeed hard if you did not remember all the things you had learned, and many of his classmates were starting to really feel the pressure of the exams. Tom was very worried and spent all the time he could studying with his fellow fifth year Slytherin prefects, and often without Lena now, since she was usually studying with the other Ravenclaws.

The week after the previous attack, the headmaster stood up and announced that the students had finally been revived. There was a cheer through the hall, though it was a forced one from the Slytherin table, and Tom did not cheer at all. When Dippet said that the students did not remember what had happened to them, he almost shouted for joy, but knew better than to do something _that_ obvious.

Soon it was time for the two weeks during which they would be taking their OWLs, yet Tom immediately relaxed when they started. He realized he had studied a bit _too_ much, actually, and knew far more than they had on the tests. He knew he would do exceptionally well on both the written and practical examinations for all his classes, he was sure. The other Slytherin prefects felt the same way. Once the tests were over, they had some free time to relax. Tom spent most of that time down in the Chamber with Lilith, talking about his impending short departure from the castle. She seemed to feel the same way he did and they planned one more attack to take place in two nights, only days before they all went home, when they were sure that there would be happy students wondering the halls.

Tom left the Chamber before dinner and went to dinner, hearing the other students chatting about how their exams were going and about what they all planned to do over the summer with their parents. He sighed. Nothing seemed to be turning out the way he had wanted it to. And now he was going to have to return to the place he hated most in the entire world.

As they all left the Great Hall after dinner, he heard Nathan scolding a second year in their own house for smearing chocolate sauce on a Ravenclaw's glasses, who Tom remembered being picked on before as well. The girl had already run from the Great Hall crying. One of her fellow Ravenclaws was laughing heartily, without knowing that the head girl, who was in Ravenclaw that year, was right behind her and glaring at her. Tom smirked when he heard Nathan say that mudbloods were not worth the time. But to Tom they were worth the time to kill and be rid of, if nothing else.

***

Two days later Tom went to the Chamber, certain this time that Lilith would succeed. They talked on their way back up the pipe and entered the girls' toilet but Tom froze as soon as the entrance there had opened. He heard someone in there with them. Someone was crying. Lilith moved pass Tom, hissing that the girl in there was a mudblood. Tom, though, was a bit weary. He did not like the situation and told Lilith that, and he told her that.

Suddenly the door to the stall the girl was in flung open, scaring Tom considerably, and she looked like she was going to start yelling, but her eyes met Lilith's first. There was no scream, no look of fear. She seemed to faint, was all. Tom looked on at the sight. He knew that she was dead. She had to be. She had met the basilisk's eyes straight on.

__

"Yes," Lilith looked at the body closely, _"that is the feeling I have wanted for so long."_

Tom moved closer to see the body. He had never thought it would have been so easy, so quick. He looked down at the Mudblood and recognized her as the girl he had seen running from the Great Hall only a few nights before, crying. Her blank, lifeless expression made a smirk come to his face. He wanted more death. He wanted more Mudbloods to die. And he wanted it _right then_.

__

"Go, my lady," he hissed happily, red tinting his irises, _"and bring me more death…"_

The huge serpent made a happy noise and slithered from the lavatory. Tom watched her go then turned back to the girl on the floor, looking at the body with near ecstasy. If only this could have been the way things could have started. A slight frown crossed his pale face. He would most likely have to wait until autumn to see more death.

Leaning closer to the dead second year, a smirk replaced his frown. "You are the first, Mudblood, that has died because of me, but, be assured, you will not be the last."

With a dark chuckle, he straightened his posture. She was the first of many Mudbloods and Muggles he would kill. And his father was among that mental list he had made that reached beyond the walls of Hogwarts. If only his father's death could be closer at hand that it was. He sighed.

It only felt like a moment later when Lilith came back in a very foul mood. She said nothing to Tom, but he did not need her to say anything for him to know that she had, yet again, failed. He opened the entrance for her and she slipped down the pips, with him following.

When he hit bottom, he saw Lilith there, watching him. He smiled at her, but she looked away towards the Chamber. _"I feel a failure…"_

"You are not a failure. You are a great huntress. The Mudbloods are just a little too _lucky. But one day, their luck_ will _run out, I assure you."_

The basilisk turned back to him, her yellow eyes seeming to gleam in the darkness of the tunnel. _"There is always next school year, is there not?"_

"Yes, there is."

And with that, Lilith slithered off down the tunnel by herself, returning to her nest she had within the statue in the Chamber. She would wait there the few months until Tom's return…until he came back to her, as he had promised he would.

Tom waited until he could no longer see her in the darkness of the cavern before he turned back to the slimy pipe. As he made his way back up the slick surface expertly, he thought about how Lilith and he could rework their plans so he could continue the school's cleansing. He thought of how many Mudbloods he _did_ know about in the school. Perhaps the best way to go about things the next year would be for him to bring the Mudbloods down to her. It was simple enough. Just stun them and drag them down to there. They would just disappear then. The only thing was that, he could get caught a lot easier that way.

Once he reached the top of the pipe, he listened hard to be sure no one was there. He was pleased to hear no voices. He opened the entrance and saw the girl's body still there. He smirked then left the toilet. He hurried across the corridor to where the Invisibility Cloak was always hidden then, making sure he was properly hidden, rushed down to his dormitory was quietly as he could, hoping not to run across any professor. When he reached his room, he collapsed onto his bed, not having realized how tired he was, and fell asleep with half the Cloak still covering him.

***

Back upstairs, a silvery form appeared, floating above the stalls. She looked around from behind her thick glasses, wondering what had happened. And then Myrtle looked down, seeing herself on the floor. Confused, she looked at her hands and she could see through them. She was a ghost!

With a loud wail, she began to cry torrents of tears, settling herself on the toilet she had been crying on earlier, when she had still been alive. Olive Hornby had been teasing her about her glasses again, and now look what had happened!

But what exactly _had_ happened?

It was hours and hours that she sat there, waiting for someone to come and find her. She was still crying, not able to go look for anyone, not wanting to leave. The sun had risen. She was sure it was time for breakfast, but still no one came.

Then, finally, she heard the door open and she floated up, peeking over the top of the stall. It was Olive herself…

"Are you in here sulking again, Myrtle?" She did not seem too concerned. "Professor Dippet himself asked for me to come look for…"

Olive had just seen Myrtle's body and gone nearly as pale as it. She tried to scream but it was as though she had been hit with the Silencing Charm. She backed up slowly, mouthing "Myrtle" over and over again, not wanting to believe what she was seeing.

"You see what you did, Olive Hornby?!"

The girl looked up and screamed finally when she saw Myrtle's ghost. She ran from the lavatory, still screaming.

For once, Myrtle was actually happy enough to smile.

***

At dinner, though the rumor had flooded through the school during the day, the students were officially told that Miss Myrtle Tein had died the previous evening, but the cause of her death was not know. He said that there was an investigation being done as to the mysterious means by which she had died. It was instantly assumed, however, by most of the students, though that the monster that had been petrifying the other students had now killed one. The Ravenclaws were all saddened by her death, even though several did not like Myrtle. Lena scowled, knowing the truth, glaring a bit at Tom's somewhat smug look. She was annoyed that it had been a Ravenclaw, but Myrtle _was_ a Mudblood after all, and Lena was not one of those purebloods that liked the filth that attended the school with her, so she was not at all mad about it…but she was upset it was not a Gryffindor or Hufflepuff instead.

When the _Daily Prophet_ was dropped on the Slytherin table for Nathan that morning, Tom snatched it as he usually did and unrolled it. His jaw dropped as he stared at it in disbelief. Crinis and Darcy both looked at the paper and saw what it was. It was not about Myrtle's death, but something that would carry a happy note through the rest of the school very soon. The headline read: "Students Going Home!"

"No no no no." Tom set down the paper and put his hands to his face. "I am _not_ going to go back."

"Tom, it'll all be alright," Crinis said.

"Not if I can't stay here for the summer."

"Why not ask the headmaster if you can stay over the summer, then." Rex was grabbing another piece of toast. "I'm sure that he'd understand your not wanting to go back to somewhere like that orphanage."

"Yeah, maybe." He looked up to the teacher's table. The headmaster was just looking out over the students without much expression. "I think I'll do that."

***

To my reviewers – 

Liv – really? It keeps getting better…*utterly shocked look*…geez…and to think his fifth year was his hardest year for me to write…though I particularly liked the like *seventh* time I rewrote this chapter, when I got Myrtle *just* right…^_^…hope all my following chapters are at least up to par with all the ones before…

demon horse 900 – yes…the thought of returning to the orphanage is rather dreadful…and OWLs stress isn't good on him either…and the scene with Lena? Hmm…yeah…there are some more parts like that…but they're not going to last…it's not like he actually has any real love for her, you know…

RivanKnight – yes…of course I remember you…the person that throws food in his reviews…but at least you didn't throw the shake this time, like you did a time before…glad you've finally got caught up…I've been wondering where all my old reviewers are, I've only seen Liv around for every chapter…I'm glad the flow's right…and how could I leave out Albus?! He's an important character! :-P And I plan to update at least once a week, so at least come on for the weekends and you'll get a new chapter…^_^…*sucking on her cookies'n'cream shake*…mmm…

***

You know…the more reviews I get the more often I'll update…I've got this story *finished*…so review me and get more chapters uploaded weekly…'kay? ^_^ 


	39. End of Plans

A/N : Most of this chapter is derived from pages 243-247 of Chapter 13: "The Very Secret Diary" in the American edition of _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ by Joanne Kathleen (J.K.) Rowling (1999, Arthur A. Levine Book, New York)…as that this is the *only* real information we have to go on for the events of the end of Tom's fifth year, they are necessary, in my opinion, to include in this chapter…I have changed some things for the sake of not copying it verbatim but I have had little extra say in the material herein except in making it from Tom's perspective than from Harry's…ALL HAIL ROWLING!!! ^_^

Chapter #39 – End of Plans

With much hope in his heart that he would be able to stay the summer, he wrote and sent off the letter to the headmaster right after breakfast. With that done, he and his friends left the cool of the castle for the sunlit grounds. All the stress of their OWLs was over. All they had left in their classes now was the assignment of their summer homework, which all the students were saying they hoped the professors forgot to give them that year, though they seriously doubted they would forget.

Even with the tragedy only the day before, most of the students were in very high spirits. Tom could not help but sneer at all the happy conversations he overheard about what they were hoping to do with their families when they finally got to go home. All of Tom's friends were quite wise enough to not mention the upcoming summer holiday, as where he would be still was unknown. They instead talked about their exams and what they thought they might have as summer homework, as that the homework would reflect what they were to be learning the next year in their first NEWT classes.

The weather that day could not have been more perfect for all the students lounging by the lake. Friends were having one of their last days to have fun together since many would not see each other over the summer, and couples were being content to cuddle by the lake and watch the giant squid floating around with the boats that were out on the water's glassy surface. There were also some people out swimming, and Tom felt an involuntary shudder, thinking of what Lena had told him about the contents of the lake.

The entire day, Tom and his friends either sat by the lake talking and reading or walking the grounds, still wondering if they could sneak off into the Forbidden Forest just for the sake of it – though, in the end, as usual, they contented themselves with talking about the creatures that lived in the forest and declaring it too dangerous for the risk involved. They ended up going back to the lake after a while, where Lena lay her head in Tom's lap and contented herself to reading as he talked to Crinis and Nathan about some things from their OWLs.

They had only returned to the castle during the entire day to grab some lunch and dinner from the table and return to the warmth outside. Soon, though, the evening was falling, turning the early summer sky pink and orange, and, as that the early curfews were still in affect, they all decided to head back to the castle before any of the professors came out and reminded them of that fact. It had been a good day, though they had done very little during their hours outside but be lazy.

As they entered the castle, Professor Sidus walked up to them, looking at Tom a bit seriously. "Mr. Riddle, a word, please."

With a slight look of worry, the rest of his Slytherin friends headed down to the dungeon while Lena stayed at his side, which did not seem to bother the Astronomy teacher. "What is it, Professor?"

"I was told by the headmaster that he wishes to see you."

"The headmaster wants to see me," Tom asked, a little surprised and a little scared, as he stared at Professor Sidus.

"He said it was very important. He wanted you there as soon as I found you."

"A…alright."

Tom kissed Lena's cheek then went up the main stairs with the head of his house. They went down the second hall corridor then stopped in front of a statue of a gargoyle. The professor said: "Magus verbum." The stone creature jumped aside as the password was spoken and revealed an archway. They stepped through it to a set of stairs that spiraled upward, the gargoyle closing the opening behind them. Once they were on the stairs, they slowly began to spiral up, slightly surprising the teenager. At the top, the professor took his leave of his student and went back down the stairs. Taking a deep breath, Tom knocked on the door with the knocker and he heard the head master ask him in.

"Ah, Riddle."

Tom took off his pointed hat, suddenly thinking it might be proper to remove it in the headmaster's office, though he was so used to wearing it that he hardly ever remembered it was there. He was more than a little nervous. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Yes, sit down, please." He gestured to the chair opposite him. "I was just reading the letter you sent me."

"Oh," he hoped he had not sounded too surprised as he sat, looking down at his hands, hoping he could stay. There was so much he had to do…so much more to plan and research.

"My dear boy, I cannot let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you'd like to finally be able to go home for the holiday."

"No," Tom said, looking up at the headmaster.

Professor Dippet looked a little curious at his quick response.

"I'd much rather stay here at Hogwarts than go back to the…to that…"

"You originally lived at a Muggle orphanage, correct?"

"Yes, sir," he said, a little red, more because he was angry at the thought of having to go back there than embarrassed that the headmaster mentioned the horrible place.

"You are Muggle-born?"

"No, Sir." He hoped he had not sounded rude when he said that. He did, after all, need to be as polite as he could be, being in the presence of the Headmaster and all. "I'm Half-blood. Muggle father, witch mother."

"And both your parents…"

"My mum died just after I was born." He was not about to say anything about his father abandoning him. Then the thought suddenly occurred to him, perhaps he could use something like a pity plea with him to have him feel sorry for him and, thus, let him stay the summer. "They told me she only lived long enough to name me. Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."

The nearly bald man clicked his tongue then sighed. "Well, Tom, the thing is, special arrangements could have been made for you, but with the current circumstances…"

"You mean, Professor, with all the attacks, I…"

"Precisely. You must see how foolish it would be for me to allow you to remain at the castle for the summer. In light of the recent tragedy, the death of poor Miss Tein, you must see that you will be, by far, much safer at your orphanage. In fact, I have heard that the Ministry of Magic is right now talking about closing the school since we are no closer to locating the…the source of this…unpleasantness."

Tom's eyes widened. Close the school?! He could _not_ let that happen. He had to do something. And it hit him suddenly what he could do. "Sir…if the person were caught…if all this stopped…"

"What do you mean?" Dippet seemed interested in this. He leaned forward. "Riddle, do you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir," he lied quickly.

The headmaster sunk back in his chair again, disappointed. He waved the prefect off with a sigh. "You may go then, Tom."

The prefect eased off the chair and left the headmaster's office, pleased that no one yet suspected him but angry that if his sudden plan did not go through the way he wanted it to, he would be the one in trouble. He went down the spiral stairs and emerged in the corridor. It was growing darker now with the sun finally beyond the horizon. He stopped and thought for a moment, biting his lip nearly hard enough to make it bleed. His eyes screwed up with concentration. How was he going to catch Rubeus in the act of tending to whatever pet he had down there? According to many of the Slytherins he had been sneaking down into the dungeons to do so nearly every night. But would he go down there tonight? Surely he would, for they left school soon. How long would he have to wait if the big oaf did show, though?

Telling himself that this idea had better work, he hurried down the empty hallway and down the stairs to the entrance hall. He was just going down the stairs when he heard someone stop above him. He looked up and saw Professor Dumbledore. That was that last person he wanted to see at that moment.

"What are you doing, wandering around the empty halls, Tom?"

"I had to see the headmaster, sir," said Riddle quickly.

The Transfiguration teacher gave him a look that made the prefect swallow hard. The look that made him think Dumbledore could read his mind. "Well, hurry off to bed. Best not to be wandering the corridors these days. Not since…"

"Yes, Professor. I know, Professor."

With a nod and a heavy sigh, the auburn haired professor said good night and went on his way. When Tom could no longer hear his echoing footsteps in the hall, he hurried down into the dungeons. He did not head to his house, though. He stopped off in one of the side dungeons, one that he knew very well from some of his earlier intimate meetings with Lena, and closed the door except for the smallest crack.

For well over an hour, he waited. Finally he heard someone. He knew it could not be a Slytherin because none of them had _that_ heavy of footfall. It had to Rubeus. The towering figure moved past the door as quietly as he could and disappeared down the dungeon corridor. When the third year was far enough ahead, he slipped out of the dungeon and followed, past the secret entrance to his house. He went a corner that he knew lead to an empty cupboard, but it was apparently not empty anymore as that he heard the door creak open on its rusty hinges and some scuttling.

"C'mon," came Rubeus' voice, "I promised yeh I'd take yeh out inter the Forest ter hunt before I left. C'mon, in the box."

Tom jumped around the corner. He saw the huge boy, who was kneeling with a large box next to him, spin around to him. He caught a glimpse of what looked like a large spider in the cupboard. "Evening, Rubeus."

The half giant slammed the door as he stood quickly. "What're yeh doin' down here, Tom?"

Not answering the question, he stepped closer. "It's all over."

"Wha'?"

"I'm going to have to turn you in. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop, Rubeus."

"What d'yeh."

"I don't think you meant to kill anyone, but you should know by now that monsters don't make good pets." He was inching closer with every word. "I know…you probably just let it out for the exercise and…well…"

"It never killed no one!" The large spider started scratching at the door to be let out, knowing its keeper was in trouble. "Never!"

"Come on, Rubeus."

"No!"

"Myrtle's parents will be here tomorrow." He raised his voice slightly, adding a bit more of a threatening sound to it. "The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed there daughter is slaughtered."

"It wasn' him!" His voice was echoing down the dark corridor, possibly loud enough for other Slytherins to hear. "He wouldn'! He never!"

"Stand aside," Tom said harshly, drawing out his wand.

"No!"

"Lumos!"

The area was filled with a bright light from his wand. As Rubeus went to try and disarm the prefect by force, the door behind him burst open. The door hit the third year so hard he was thrown into the opposite wall. A still young, but rather large, spider hurried past Tom, knocking him to the floor. He knew in an instant what it was, having studied them in Care of Magical Creatures already, though only from the book.

As he got to his feet, he pointed his wand around the corner at the creature. "Say goodbye, Rubeus."

"No! Yeh can't!"

Rubeus lunged at the prefect, trying to grab away his wand. Hitting the floor again, Tom tried to wrestle off the third year but knew the half giant was too strong. He succeeded at pointing his wand just enough to get a good aim at the Gryffindor.

"Desin fortitudus!"

Suddenly the half giant's strength was gone and Tom easily pushed him off. He got to his feet and hurried off down the dungeon corridor, trying to catch the acromantula before it found anyone else. They were rather terrifying creatures but not nearly as bad as his ancestor's basilisk. He could hear Rubeus trying to get up and he knew that the effects of the curse would not last for long. He had to hurry.

"No! Tom!"

*********

To my reviewers – 

martha – "admire"? *blinks* interesting word choice, but welcome nonetheless…^_^ And I do plan to update at least twice a week, which will have the last chapter being posted sometime the end of November…the first chapter of the second part will be posted the first of December…

Liv – it's entirely alright that it took me so long to write the part with Myrtle in it…I'm a perfectionist and liked the final product…and if I liked it, well, that's a good thing, and a bad thing (as that they say if the author likes something a lot it's often trash…^_^;)…but, yes, killing someone finally would make the evilness in him start to billow out of him, you know…


	40. Scapegoat

A/N : And here is *my* version of the events that take place *after* what we know about Tom "catching" Rubeus…it *is* based on the few things that Tom told us about the aftermath in chapters 13 and 17…I do hope that all of you think I did a good job of it…^_^

Chapter #40 – Scapegoat

As Tom topped the stairs to the dungeon, he saw the huge spider scuttling out the front door, which it had to have opened itself. Tom ran towards the door and pointed his wand towards the creature. "Immobilus!"

The blast of magic did not hit the acromantula as it headed off into the forest. Tom started to go after it but he was caught around the waist by Rubeus. "Get off!"

"Don' hurt 'im!"

"What is going on?!"

The two students spun around. There was Professor Mercer, halfway down the stairs. The two students straightened up and both began talking at once. The professor held up a hand and they both fell silent. Tom was sure that the Charms teacher would side with him, though, no matter what. Rubeus just did not seem the type to tell the truth, after all.

"Tom," he said to the prefect, thinking that the older student would be the better one to explain, seeing as how he was a prefect after all, "explain."

"Well, Professor, you see," he glanced at the third year, who looked quite flustered, "Rubeus here has been keeping a pet in the dungeons."

The Charms professor was clearly taken aback by this information.

"I believe that this creature may have been the one doing the attacks on all the students."

"It's a lie!" Rubeus was looking at Professor Mercer with a pleading expression. "Yeh have to believe meh, Professor. I…"

"Mr. Hagrid, I'm afraid that there is too much against you in the first place. I will, though, take the two of you to the headmaster's office. He wanted you to be brought to him if you had brought any more _pets_ into this castle. I'll then go and fetch Professor Dumbledore."

Rubeus seemed to brighten up just slightly at the mention of his head of house being called for. He was sure he could get out of trouble with Dumbledore there to help him.

"Now come along you two."

The three of them headed to the gargoyle on the second floor and the password was spoken again. They all went up the spiraling staircase and entered the headmaster's office. The old man seemed slightly surprised to see the fifth year again so soon, and even more surprised to see Rubeus it seemed. A frown creased his face and made him look even older than he was, if that were possible. Professor Mercer gave a short explanation of the situation he had found them in then took his leave to go fetch Dumbledore.

"Mr. Riddle, explain to me what happened."

"Well," Tom began, "ever since last fall, there have been several people in Slytherin that have noticed Rubeus going down into the dungeons quite regularly. Since there are no classes down there, he should not be going down there for any reason since he's a Gryffindor. There've been a lot of people in Slytherin wondering what he's been up to. And there were many that thought that he was the one that was actually doing the attacks."

The headmaster nodded. He too had heard some of these rumors, but had hoped that they would not be true, after all the trouble that the boy had been in already for breaking rules.

"After you said that there were still no leads on who was doing the attacks, I thought that it would at least be worth the chance to see what he was doing there. I waited for him and caught him with some creature."

"He's a…"

Dippet held up a hand and the large third year went silent.

"It made perfect sense to me. How could there be any other dangerous creatures in the castle? It was his little pet. It had to be."

Suddenly, and much sooner than expected, the Transfiguration professor burst through the door, looking very out of breath. Tom suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as the professor was gazing at him intently. He remained silent, almost afraid to speak.

"Continue, my boy," the headmaster said.

Having to force himself, he did continue. "If he had simply agreed to let me bring in the creature and himself to the professors so he be questioned about all this…"

"Bu' yeh…"

The old headmaster held up his thin hand again, once again making Rubeus go quiet.

"…the creature would not have ran off. I tried to stop it, but Rubeus grabbed me and kept me from going after it into the forest. Now we may never know what really happened." Tom felt like he should add just a bit more, to make the old man be swayed to him even more. "And all this because he could not keep from bringing dangerous creatures into the castle."

"I cannot believe this, Hagrid." Dippet was shaking his head. "I just cannot."

"But, Professor…"

Dippet ignored Hagrid. "As you said, since the creature has fled into the forest, we will be unable to find it and destroy it easily."

"I know. That's why I tried to stop it, Headmaster."

The feeble old man looked at the third year. "Rubeus, after all the creatures you have smuggled into the castle, after all the times you've sneaked off into the forest, after all the fights, after all the rule breaking, after all the times that Albus has stood up for you," he glanced at Professor Dumbledore, "I _cannot_ overlook this. I am afraid that I will have to expel you."

"But, Professor…"

"Now see here, Armando," Dumbledore stepped forward, finally speaking and looking rather furious, "you cannot _possibly_ think that he's the…"

"Albus," the old man's voice was as firm as he could muster, "I have overlooked his parentage and monster love for three years now. He _is_ dangerous and _cannot_ be allowed."

"He has nowhere else to go. You know this." The Transfiguration professor had raised his voice a notch. "You know his father is dead and we don't know where his mother is, but I don't think it would be wise to send him back to her anyway."

"Then what do you propose we do with him?"

Dumbledore had already thought this through, having feared that one day this might happen. "Give him to Ogg. Teach him to be Gamekeeper since we have been without one for a while and since he does have an affinity for beasts of _all_ sorts. He would be a big help on the grounds too with his strength. I will charge Ogg with not letting him out of his sight, so there will be no way he will break any more rules. And you know how trustworthy Ogg is."

Dippet looked like he was having a major internal struggle when the Transfiguration teacher suggested that. It took several minutes for him to nod. "Very well, but he must be stripped of his wand."

"I understand that." Dumbledore reached out a hand towards his student, an unreadable expression on his face, though he seemed rather calm about the whole situation. "Your wand, please."

"Professor, I…"

"Rubeus, I do not like having to do this, but it _is_ part of the expulsion process."

"Yes, Professor." Hagrid reached into his robes and pulled out his long wand. "Here."

And Professor Dumbledore snapped it in half. The sound echoed in the room. The third year seemed on the verge of tears as he watched. Dippet just watched, no emotions playing across his aged face. Tom smirked, though hoped no one else saw it.

"Go and collect your things, Hagrid." Dumbledore gave him the pieces of the wand back. "I will see you to an empty chamber for you to stay in. We will talk with Norwien in the morning."

"Yes, Professor," Rubeus said, not looking away from the pieces of his wand as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Come on, now."

Dumbledore and Rubeus left the office, leaving the prefect with the headmaster. There was silence for a moment. Tom did not know what was going to happen now. Finally Dippet spoke.

"Well, my boy!" He clapped a hand on Tom's shoulder. "I am very proud of you. I think this deserves fifty points, which should definitely secure your house winning the House Cup again this year. I think that you also deserve an Award for Special Service to the School."

"Thank you, Professor."

"No thanks needed." He waved his hand, smiling, seeming much younger with his face beaming. "The attacks will stop now. The school won't be closed. This is great, my boy."

Tom knew that that meant that he would not be able to reopen the Chamber anymore. He growled to himself, though smiled outwardly. But, still, there were other things he was wondering about. "Sir, would it be possible for me to stay over the summer now?"

"I will have to discuss it with the Ministry when they come to question Hagrid. If Minister Channing thinks it is safe for you to stay, then yes, my boy, you may stay."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"And, um, Riddle," the headmaster seemed a bit twitchy for a moment, his momentary youth fading quickly into the old frail face Tom had known for five years, "I'd really like it if you didn't tell any of the other students about this. I mean, if it were known how Miss Tein really died, well, we'd have a lot of scared students."

The fifth year was puzzled. "Sir?"

"The students don't need to worry any more than they are already. They have so much joy and all. So don't tell anyone about tonight's happenings."

"But won't the students figure it out anyway?"

The headmaster sighed, shaking his head. "I am ashamed that such a thing happened here, Tom. Monsters attacking students… It would be best if it was just not mentioned."

"Then what are you going to tell everyone?"

"I don't know yet, exactly."

Professor Dippet bid him goodnight with a sigh and Tom left. He returned to his dormitory and told his friends what had happened, even though the headmaster had just basically forbidden him to do so. Crinis did not seem too happy about the entire situation but congratulated him on his award and the fifty points. Darcy thought it was great that the oaf finally got expelled. They all hoped that Tom could stay since asking their parents at the last minute if they could change their plans was not likely to work. If Tom could not stay, he knew he would have to go back to the orphanage…and that idea made him very angry, his eyes glowing red in the darkness.

*********  
To my reviewer – 

Liv – your luvvy Tom? YOUR LUVVY?! *glares at you* as long as I'm writing this story, Tom is mine, do you understand? MINE!!! *cackles insanely* Glad you enjoyed the chapter, though…^_^

demonhorse900 – why can't he be in love with Lena? Well…I think that at some point earlier in the story he did love her…but, well, as Hagrid put it in the third book "When a wizard goes to the Dark Side, there's nothing and no one that matters to them anymore"…but, of course, Tom is *using* her for a good number of things…^_~…and Tom has a reason to hate Muggles and the hating mudbloods just comes from his getting stuck into Slytherin…but he *has* to hate them…this is the guy that becomes Voldemort after all, you know…and he *definitely* hates Muggles and mudbloods…and what is it that Lena said? And why in the heck do you think the story's almost over? I still have 16 more chapters to post…I'm not ending the story at his fifth year…the boy's got to graduate you know…


	41. Plotting Death

Chapter #41 – Plotting Death

The next morning, Dippet told the biggest lie Tom had ever known the old man to tell. He said that the cause of Myrtle's death had been an accident. The state of mind the young girl had been in had apparently caused her to try harming herself and one of the spells she done had killed her. He said nothing about Rubeus, though, but it had already gotten around to most of the students from the Gryffindors that he had been expelled. Many suspected he had been behind the attacks, though nothing had been said about that. All Dumbledore had told his house was that Rubeus had been caught with another pet and he had been threatened with expulsion before, and that was what he got. Most of the students seemed to think they were just two unrelated events.

When Tom got word from Headmaster Dippet later that day that he would not be able to stay at the school over the summer because the Ministry was going to scour the castle in search of the Chamber, even though the apparent attacker had been caught, he was nearly mad enough to ring the old man's neck. He did not want to have to go back to the orphanage, but now he had no choice. He groaned and packed his things for the first time in four years. He had never felt angrier than at that moment, having to leave his home…the only real home he had ever known.

All his friends watched him, sorry they could not take him with them. They honestly wished that there were something they could do. Because their parents wanted to spend time with just their children, though, Tom thought he would not be very welcome, even if they had not said no. There was too little time to change any plans that had been made by their families. He knew that there was no other choice for him but to go to the orphanage he hated so much, and where they too hated him.

When they all went down to Hogsmeade in the morning to take portkeys home or to Floo from one of the homes in town, Tom felt the weight of both fear and hatred nearly overwhelming him. What would all the people at the orphanage say when he strode in there after _years_ of being gone? What would they make him do? He cringed at the thought of having to do any chores and getting his hands dirty and needing "elbow grease." He was far too used to having to only do his homework and the only things he liked getting his hands dirty with was potions ingredients when he was cutting them up. There was no way he would be doing any work.

Tom said goodbye to his friends as they went to where they needed to be, giving Lena a very long kiss before they parted, then he walked over to the man that was holding the portkey that would take a group of students to a designated spot near the Muggle town of Haltwhistle, from where Tom hoped he could easily get to Great Hangleton, which was only about ten miles away, if he remembered correctly. It would constitute about a three hour walk, but he knew that most of the other towns and cities in northern England would be even farther away, so this was his best bet.

The fifth year Slytherin joined in with a group of students, all of whom he suspected to be Mudbloods. He took a deep breath to keep himself from hissing with anger as he stood beside the others in front of one of the Ministry officials there. He did not know what to expect from this means to travel as he looked down at the decent sized piece of blue cloth that was serving as the portkey. He wanted all of this to be over with already. He had had enough of this holiday just in packing for it. But he had two months to wait before it was going to be over. And those two months were sure to be the worst of his life.

The man counted down on his pocket then, right after he said "one," the portkey jerked the five students to their destination, feeling like someone was pulling them along by a hook in their stomachs, their fingers seeming glued to the portkey. As they journeyed, they bumped into each other and their was a rush of wind around them as blurry colors flashed by them. When they landed, all but two of them crumpled into a heap and found themselves nearly two hundred miles from where they had just been.

As he stood up, Tom told himself that would have much rather traveled by Floo Powder than do that ever again. He strolled off towards the town, holding his small trunk by a handle in one of his hands, as the other students greeted their parents and headed off to cars. Tom scowled to himself about the filth that he had been forced to get there with, and the worse filth he would be seeing soon. Though he heard one of the fathers call out to him, he ignored him and walked on. He did not need, or want, their help.

After over two hours of walking, he reached Great Hangleton. He paused when he saw the orphanage. It was just as horrible of a place as he remembered. Old and run down, the house that was nearly too small for the children it held. He was sure it was not much better now with all the children from the south also staying in the countryside. He switched the trunk to his other hand, as he had had to do several times during the trip there, and headed on. He wondered what type of greeting he would get.

"Riddle!"

He heard it before he could even see which of the old ladies had shouted at him. He did not think that he was _that_ recognizable at a distance. He sighed, knowing this was going to be just like he feared…horrible. He continued on to the front of the orphanage, seeing that both of the old bats were there. He sneered at them.

"Just _what_ are you doing back here," one of them nearly yelled at him.

"Go on back to your stupid little school," the other shouted, pointing back the way he had come.

Tom ignored them, successfully fighting the urge to draw his wand, which he had hidden up the sleeve of his long sleeved shirt. He pushed past them and headed to the room that he used to stay in. He earned many strange looks on his way there too from many of the other children there that were going about their chores. The ones that remembered him were a bit scared looking, but also very surprised. Those that did not know him were puzzled by his sudden arrival.

Once he reached the room, he found it empty. Undoubtedly the other boys were doing their daily chores with all the others. He saw that the bed he used to sleep in had another boys things on and around it. He had figured as much. There were also three extra beds stuffed into the small room, making it much more cramped than before.

"I asked you what you were doing back here, Mr. Riddle!"

The young wizard turned and glared that the woman. "I am here because they decided to let all the students go home for the summer. If I could have stayed, I would have!"

"There is no room for you or your things here."

"Go somewhere else," the other old lady shouted.

"Where?" Tom would love to hear their suggestions but when they were silent after his snapping at them, he scoffed. "There is nowhere else for me to go! You do not have to worry, you will not see me, for I…"

"Oh, no! If you're going to be here, then you are going to be doing work!"

"I will not!" His voice was harsh and he laughed a cold, slightly high-pitched laugh when the old ladies back away out the door rather quickly. "I do _not_ live here, I am just being _forced_ to stay here. And I _refuse_ to do any of the work that you would love to force on me."

"No work, no food," one of them said.

"Really?" He finally took out his wand, really wanting to do something, but the mere fear he invoked in them when they saw the wand was plenty. "Then I might have to show you two some of the things I have learned in my classes."

With terrified cries, the two old bats ran from the room. Tom tucked his wand back into his sleeve as he too left the room. He tossed his small trunk into a broom closet then went back outside. He ventured off into the forest that was near the orphanage to brood over his situation, away from all the Muggles. Two months seemed like a very long to at that moment…

*********

In his attempts to stay as far from the orphanage as possible to avoid eventually being forced to do chores, he strolled over to Little Hangleton nearly everyday. He would often sit in the graveyard of the church there and stare up at the house he knew his father lived in. It was a grand house that sat on top of one of the highest hills around. The sheer size and grandeur of the manor house made him ill. While he had been forced to live in a rundown, horrible orphanage, his father was living in opulence, acting as though he had no son.

Several times he had had the urge to go up to the house and knock on the door to see what they said to him, but he did not dare. He had the feeling he would be far too angry and strangle his father as soon as he saw him. He did not want to be charged with the bastard's death. No, he had to find some other way to kill his father. He needed a subtler way…perhaps with magic? But he could not use magic outside of Hogwarts while he was still attending. He had to wait. Though, the more he went to that graveyard to look up at the house, the thinner his patience was growing.

One afternoon, as he stood there, staring up at the house from a thick of yews, he suddenly thought of the best and quickest solution. He could find some spell that could shield the fact that he was using magic outside of school grounds. Granted, he would have to wait until he got back to school to start looking (for he was certain the Restricted Section would hold spells of that nature). If he succeeded at finding a spell, _then_ he could use magic outside of the school without anyone knowing. And if he learned how to Apparate before he was supposed to as well, he could easily pop in and out of that grand house without anyone ever knowing he had really gone anywhere.

An evil smirk came to his face and he laughed coldly. That was his answer. It would work so well, he was sure of it. He leaned against the yew tree and took out his wand, twirling it between his fingers. Within a year his father, the source of all the hatred he had, could very well be dead, at his hands. But that would only be the beginning. There was much more that he needed to do…much more to plan. A red tint flickered across his eyes and again he laughed coldly as he thought of all the Dark things he dreamed of doing finally coming to pass.

*********

To my reviewer – 

demon horse 900 – well…yes…now their relationship (on his part at least) his mainly lust, but a few years ago, before he started delving into the Dark Arts so heavily, I think he really did love her, even if just a bit…what's he going to use her for? Hmm…well…you'll have to stick around and see…but there are certain things that any guy would love to use a girl for, you know? And of course Tom sounds like Hitler…he's supposed to be the Hitler of the wizarding world…all about purity and a superior race while oppressing/killing the second class citizens (in Hitler's case it was homosexual men and Jews, for Voldemort it's Muggles and mudbloods {and surely bloodtraitors too})…and this story ends at the graduation, the second part will start right after that and go through a few years after his defeat by baby Harry to explain some things with his Death Eaters and the Phoenixes and all…


	42. Back to the Leaky Cauldron

Chapter #42 – Back to the Leaky Cauldron

Even though he was spending little time at the orphanage, he could still not help but hear about what was going on with the war. There was fighting here and there on the Continent and fighting around Italy. There had also been fighting in Africa too, he discovered. The bombings in England had dwindled down, as he had read in the _Daily Prophet_, but there was still fear of bombings there every night, especially in London.

On and off during the first month of the holiday, Tom was very worried that they had closed the school. He had nightmares a few times that the Ministry had found Lilith and killed her. But he knew that if there had been any such news, it would have surely have reached him either by an owl from the school or through one of his friends that was still connected to the events happening in the wizarding community. He soon relaxed and the nightmares and fears went away. He was sure that everything would turn out to be fine.

While the summer was passing slowly by for him, he began to wonder exactly how he was going to get to London to get his new supplies, as that he was sure he _would_ be able to get them at Diagon Alley. And if he could, he would stay at the Leaky Cauldron until it was time for him to go back to school. He sent letters to all his friends asking if they knew any witch or wizard in the area he was in that might let him use their fireplace to Floo. After about a week, he finally got a response from Rex saying that they had a family friend that lived in a nice secluded part of the forest near him and that the friend had gladly offered the use of his fireplace. Tom was overjoyed. He only had to wait a little longer for his letter from school before he finally left the orphanage…hopefully for the last time.

When the letter from Hogwarts did finally arrived, he was more than happy that he had proof in his hands that they had not closed the school. There was, though, a letter saying that extra security measures were being taken so that the students would all be safe. Tom had already decided, though, that it would be far too dangerous to let Lilith back out since he was sure that Rubeus would indeed be under a watchful eye with Ogg around. And if he _did_ let her out, all blame would be lifted from his scapegoat and people might turn their attention to him, the one that had caught Hagrid. But he still had his other plans he had thought of.

There was a list of his grades on his OWLs enclosed and he was surprised to have received "Outstandings" in all his subjects except History of Magic, which he got an "Exceeding Expectations" in. He was very pleased with himself about his grades. He wondered what all his other friends had gotten on their grades, no doubt Lena got all "Outstandings," though, as that she was as good of a student as he and she liked History of Magic far more than he.

The letter also included a list of all the things he would need for his classes, including that for his potions class he would need a _very_ diverse apothecary, as well as a small silver cauldron. He also needed several very interesting sounding books, including one that really sparked his interest: _The Dark Arts and How they Work_. Though Tom knew that it would be more about how to fight against them, he knew it would still be an invaluable book for him to have. If he knew most of the things that Aurors did to fight the Dark Arts, then he would have a chance to slip past them and do his own things.

Two days later, on his birthday, he decided that it was time to leave. He knew he had plenty of money to cover spending the rest of the holiday at the Leaky Cauldron and it would be worth it to finally be away from the orphanage. He got up early in the morning and grabbed his trunk from the broom closet he had originally stored it in. He then set off through the mist towards the wizard's home from where he was going to Floo to London.

As he walked through the forest for about an hour or so and the sun's warmth dispersed the mist in the forest, he kept his eyes open for the home he was looking for. In the densest part of the forest, with the clearing mists, he could just make out a blurry image ahead of him. He paused, looking at it through the mists. It seemed to be a cottage with a healthy fire going because of the amount of smoke coming from the chimney. He hurried onward, sure that this was the right place. The directions had said northeast of Great Hangleton, and that was the direction he had gone. Too bad he had not had better directions than that, though.

When he was close enough to see through the mists at the cottage clearly, he saw that it did match the description that Rex had given him. He smiled and went through the garden gate that bore the name "Toadmore" on an old plaque dangling from the arbor over the gate. The arbor and stone wall around the garden were covered in vines that had berries ripening on them. The garden itself was full of flowers and herbs that were all mixed together in chaos. The smoke bubbling up from the chimney was nearly sapphire blue with small wisps of green and yellow mingled into it. Yes…this had to be the home of witch or wizard. No other home could be quite like this.

Tom approached the door and was about to knock when a middle-aged man in green and brown robes opened the door, beaming at him. He had a few stray brown hairs hanging around his face that were too short to put back into the ponytail he had the rest of his hair up in. "You must be young Tom. I was told to be expecting you soon."

Not at all surprised, Tom followed the man into the cottage without a word and looked around some. It was a quaint little, one-room cottage. Dry herbs were hanging down from the rafters. There was a loft area where the bed was. There were several cauldrons bubbling with some potion or another with small fires under them all over the place. The fireplace itself was free of any cauldron and the fire was burning merrily. "If you'd like to stay for breakfast…"

"No thank you, Sir." Tom looked eagerly at the fire, feeling the desire to get to London quickly. "I'll be able to get food at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Alright." He walked to the fireplace and picked up what looked like a ceramic cauldron from the mantle. "Dip in and off you go, then."

Tom nodded and took a handful of the powder the small cauldron held then, holding his trunk by just one handle, then stepped into the warm flames. He called out "The Leaky Cauldron" and he was off in a swirl of green flames, his trunk swinging slightly at his side. It was a much better trip to make than the one with the portkey. He watched the glimpses of rooms flash by, wondering what witches and wizards lived there. Then suddenly, his feet hit a hearth and he tumbled out. He _really_ needed to work on his landing. Getting to his feet, he looked around. He was, indeed, at the Leaky Cauldron, as he had been the time before when he had come here through Floo Powder. He quickly went to get a room for the night and paid, which took nearly all the money he had left with him. He would certainly need to stop by his vault before he thought about doing any shopping.

After setting his trunk in his room, he went back downstairs and got breakfast, leaving him with only a sickle and seven knuts. He _really_ needed to get to his vault, now. So after he finished breakfast, he went to Gringotts and got out a large bag of coins. He easily bought all his supplies, not seeing any other students there yet, then he went and put all his new things in his room. For about an hour, he looked through the books he had gotten before he put them in his trunk with his other things. _The Dark Arts and how they Work_ was truly an interesting book. It went over several of the major Dark Wizards that had existed in the past three thousand years. Tom already knew a good deal about most of them, since he had been interested in finding out about them and what they had wanted to accomplish the previous year.

Once he had gone through all of the books, he looked at the window and could see a glimpse of Muggle London outside. It _did_ look rather awful. He smirked. It would be rather nice to go out and see the destruction that the foolish Muggles had caused themselves…to think of how he might be able to do the same things to them in years to come. He stood and left the Leaky Cauldron, going out onto the Muggle street to see what there was left of London.

*********

To my reviewers – 

Liv – well…that's the way it had to be…strange that Dippet thought his students were dumb enough to not connect the death of Myrtle and Hagrid's expulsion…but apparently they were, since the way Tom had spoken about it in the second book made me think that Dippet had succeeded at lying to them…and, yes, I think he should have wrung his neck too…but Tom really should keep his composure, you know…killing the headmaster with his bare hands would not go unnoticed…

Sharker11 - ^_^…why thank you very much…and I do hope that you continue to think that the story's interesting…I do really try…

demon horse 900 – yes…everyone is old…did you just realize this? And Tom's supposed to be scary…and the old hags are as good a reason as any to hate Muggles, right? A chapter from Lena's POV? I know I'll have some in the second and third parts of the story, but I don't think I have one in the first part…so just be on the lookout later on (like next year…^_^;)…


	43. Tom’s Journal

A/N – Alright…I'm not buff on the bombings of London so if any of you out there does know more about this than I do, forgive me for not having the right accuracy…I did the best I could with what information I could gather…^_^

Chapter #43 – Tom's Journal

It looked as though there had been a recent bombing – perhaps just the night before. Tom strolled through the streets, trying to blend in, but he doubted he was doing well. He knew he had to seem happy at the destruction. It was chaos, and he loved chaos all too well now. The first place he went in his wanderings was to Kings Cross Station.

It was not that long of a walk, especially since he had traversed the distance between Great and Little Hangleton almost daily all summer. There was much damage all through that area, but it looked like there had not been many more bombings recently in that area. He thought that the damage to the train station was not all that bad, for only the main part of the station had been bombed and it only had a hole in the roof. Though there was no way of telling how badly the tracks were damaged inside since he could not take a look.

The next few days he roamed all over London, looking at the damage that had been done in the past years of the war. If the Muggles had anything to compare to house elves, they could have London rebuilt in a matter of months. Since they would have to rely on technology, though, it would most likely take a lot longer than that. And there was no telling when the war would be over so they could actually start the repairs.

As the end of the summer drew closer, he got a letter from Lena saying that she was coming to Diagon Alley the day before they had to be at school. He had already seen all his other friends in the nearly two weeks since he had gotten there. He was glad that she would be coming soon. He liked even more, though, that she had asked her father if he could come home with them and Floo to Hogsmeade with her and he had agreed. He missed her greatly, and it seemed that she felt the same to. He wrote back and told her that he was looking forward to seeing her again soon.

Two days before Lena was to be there, Tom wandered off across the Thames. He had not gone across the river much since he had been in London, trying not to frequent too many areas and possibly draw attention to himself. He was a stranger and the country was in the midst of a war. He might be considered a spy and that could cause some major problems.

That particular area had apparently had the bombings that he had heard in the night. He wandered around the newly created rubble and felt like smiling, but knew better than to do that. He kept as straight of an expression as he could, but that did not keep him from smiling on the inside. He loved seeing Muggles suffer. He did not care that these Muggles were civilians…innocent. But were any Muggles really innocent? Muggles were Muggles after all. And all Muggles needed to die in his opinion. He smiled, though, as a new thought crossed him mind…they could make _very_ good slaves.

As he wandered around the Kennington area, he wandered onto Vauxhall Road. He looked around at the buildings…or the remains of the buildings as the case were. He paused in front of one shop that was still fairly standing, but the things within it seemed pretty much destroyed. Tom was drawn into the shop, why he did not know. But he had learned to follow his intuition over the past year and he would not force himself away from the rubble till he found out why this shop was of importance.

The shopkeeper sighed, looking at Tom as he walked in, seeing him looking at the rubble too. "Everything's gone."

There was only the slightest twinge of pity for the man as Tom looked through the damage. Though why he had that twinge he did not know. He continued to look at the rubble, wondering what was drawing him to the shop. Only one little thing caught his attention amongst the debris. He reached down and picked up a small, nearly pocket-sized journal. He looked at it in interest, studying its leather binding. He flipped through the pages, examining it. Could this really be why he was drawn into this place?

"Take it. The looters nearly took everything early this morning anyway. One more thing gone won't matter."

Tom looked at the man in slight surprise but nodded, actually thankful for him giving to him since he had no Muggle money. Though he had no idea what he would use a journal for, especially one that was dated for that year and the year was more than half over. He had never kept a journal. Perhaps he should start now. He pocketed it and looked around the shop a little more, in case there was something else that caught his attention, but there was not.

Though he would have preferred not to speak, he thought it might be best to, so he would not be looked upon suspiciously as that he was a stranger here. "With the victories the Allies have had, this might very well have been the last bombing. The Germans might start really running now."

"But recovery from these bombings will take years, even if there are no more night raids." He smiled at the young man. "You get on back to your parents. I'm sure they want to keep you close. There's no telling when you might be pulled into the fighting, Lad."

Though Tom did not have a family, he took that as the chance to leave, not feeling the need to act polite. Since he could not do magic outside school anyway, he could not do anything to the Muggle, helpful or harmful even if he had wanted to. He nodded and walked from the rubble, his hand in his pocket, running his thumb over the leather surface of the journal. There was something about that book and he would figure it out.

*********

To my reviewers – 

demon horse 900 – ah…I see…well…yes, they are all old…Albus is over 150…and he's evil I tell you…EVIL!!! ^_~ And, yes, next year…I won't start posting the second part until the last month of this year…so next year makes sense…and save some of that cookie dough for me…

Liv – I do always try to keep things believable and when it comes to sticking to the facts…*shows her inch thick stack of quotes, photocopies, and information from the five HP books*…and that's just the stuff in regards to the books…I have notebooks full of things for my fanfic and plenty of history notes too…and when it comes to the other things you said…angst, I have never understood (definition = great dread or anxiety…who'd want to write about that?!)…sex – there is some here, just not too evident (what's one of the things you think good ol' Tom's using Lena for?)…and violence *chuckles darkly* you will get plenty of when it comes around time for Voldemort's time in power in the 70's…


	44. The Westbrook Manor

Chapter #44 – The Westbrook Manor

The last two days before he would be seeing Lena again faded away. It was now the last day of August and he could not be any happier than he was. He was about to be going to see Lena, and the next day he would be going back to Hogwarts, the place that would be his home for two more years. Though the thought of going home sounded good, but then the thought of having to leave after having learned so much and getting used to the castle seemed to be the even worse than his having to stay at the orphanage that summer. What exactly _was_ he going to do once he graduated?

On the day that Lena was supposed to be coming, he sat down at the ice cream shop most of the day, reading his book for his Charms class, most of which seemed very interesting. Getting the pronunciations right, though, might be difficult, as there were some very hard looking ones in the book.

Once the sun started going down, he sighed. He had not seen Lena anywhere, nor her father. Perhaps he had misread the date. Maybe it had been the day before. Or maybe she was unable to come that day. At six, he left Diagon Alley and went back to the Leaky Cauldron to get dinner. As he entered, heading for the spot he usually sat in for his meals, he saw Mr. Westbrook standing at the bar with several parcels under one arm and some dangling from strings on his fingers. Tom decided to walk to him. He had not remembered seeing him walking along the Alley. He looked around for Lena but did not see her.

"Lena is home with her mother, if you're wondering. Casia's ill and wanted Lena to stay with her today since Lena's going back to school tomorrow. She told me to come and get her supplies," he smiled, "and you."

Tom nodded at Korbin. He began to turn to go to the fireplace so he could go ahead and use the Floo Powder, when his lover's father caught his arm. He looked at the older wizard strangely, wondering why he had stopped him. Had he changed his mind about him coming to their home?

"No need to Floo, I can manage."

"Manage what," Tom asked, puzzled.

"Apparating with another person."

"You…you can do that?"

"Only those that are good enough at it can, yes. Kind of like being able to cover very large distances." Mr. Westbrook smiled, reaching out the hand that was not weighted down with Lena's supplies. "Just take my hand and we'll go."

With a nod, Tom took Korbin's hand, but then thought of his things that were upstairs. "What about my trunk?"

"I'll send a house elf for it."

And with that, they disappeared with a pop. Tom felt very lightheaded for a moment, feeling as though he were stuck in some sort of limbo, but then he saw a wonderfully decorated library with books that went up to the ceiling suddenly appear before him. The walls that he could see were white but the rest of the space was either taken up by books or art work, mainly landscapes and still life. Tom looked around, taking it in, turning to the window that was letting in the rays of the setting sun. There was a magical fire roaring away in the fireplace. The furniture was all upholstered with blue velvet that looked well-worn with use and age.

"I'll show you to Lena's room. I'm sure that you will be wanting to stay with her tonight."

Tom looked at Mr. Westbrook with complete shock. "Why…why would I want to stay in her room?"

Korbin only chuckled as he began to head towards the doors. He was not ignorant of what his daughter and Tom were doing, even if he had never been told. He too had once been that age, and, well, he had also done the same things. While he was at school, he had never had a girl that was as close of a friend as Lena was to Tom were and _not_ taken her to bed. There was no need for him to think it was any other way for them, especially since they _had_ been friends for so long.

The sixth year Slytherin did not pursue the issue any farther since Korbin did not answer and he followed the older wizard out of the library. He had an inkling that he knew what he had meant anyway. He was quickly too awestruck to think of it anymore of that, though, as he took in the grand manor in which Lena lived, that she had grown up in. This was quite a house, with its marble floors and stairs. There were moving portraits on the walls that were most likely ancestors of Lena's and they watched the two of them pass, a few whispering amongst themselves about the dark haired, pale boy who had just arrived. He saw a ghost float by, going down the hall away from them before they headed up the stairs.

A soothing warm feeling washed over that was not a result of the evening sunlight that was falling across him through the high windows by the front door as he walked across the entrance hall. This feeling was from being back among other wizards and witches, where he really felt like he was part of a family. Though he had felt like this when he had gotten to the Leaky Cauldron, it was more so now. He was going to see Lena again, he was leaving for Hogwarts in the morning, he would be back learning magic. And there was no way that he was ever going to go back to where he was not wanted, back to the orphanage – the place he hated more than any other. He would refuse to leave the world he belonged in again. He would refuse to go back and stay with those horrible, filthy, unworthy Muggles.

When they topped the stairs, Tom paused, gaping at the rather large portrait that hung there. It was of Korbin and Lena, when she was only about five. She giggled at the teenager who was looking at her then looked up at her father, whose lap she was sitting on. He smiled too, though at her. A cat walked into the picture, rubbing against Korbin's legs, then headed off out of the picture. Lena hopped off his lap and ran after it out of the frame and into another picture, calling "kitty" as it pranced off. Tom was still watching her in awe as she disappeared. Lena had been just as pretty of a child as she was now.

"Tom," Korbin had noticed his pause and turned to him, "come on. It's this way."

With a smile, he followed Mr. Westbrook down the corridor. There were other paintings here too. Some were portraits, some were landscapes, but all were very beautiful. Tom could not help but try to look at everything. There were even a few sculptures here and there on pillar-like stands that stood in front of mirrors or were hidden in alcoves. He was so busy looking at the décor around him that he did not see Korbin stop.

"Tom…"

"Oh, sorry."

"It's alright." He smiled at the teenager. "From what I've heard from Lena, you've never seen a place like this before."

"No." He felt a bit nervous suddenly. "I didn't realize that your family was this rich."

"Really?" He seemed rather surprised. "I thought that Lena had told you."

"She said that her family was not lacking in money, but she never said that she was rolling in gold."

Korbin raised an eyebrow behind his round framed glasses. "Does that change how you see her?"

"No!" Tom got a little pink, or he felt like he had. "I like Lena for who she is."

"That's good to know." He opened the door to the room he was in front of and entered it. "This is Lena's room. She's probably still with her mother. Casia likes Lena reading to her, it takes her mind off of being sick. I'll go tell her that you're here."

"Alright."

Mr. Westbrook set down the packages on the bed. "Snil!"

Tom looked somewhat puzzled, hoping that Korbin was not crazy with his shouting random, nonsense words, but then a house elf popped in, like she had Apparated there.

"Snil, go to the Leaky Cauldron, room…"

"Room three," Tom said quickly, seeing Korbin looking at him for this information.

"…and fetch Mr. Riddle's things. I'm sure they're all packed."

"Yes, master," she said with a deep bow before disappearing.

"You're things will be here shortly."

"Thank you, Korbin."

"Don't mention it." He turned to leave. "Make yourself at home. Lena should be here shortly."

*********

To my reviewers –

demonhorse900 – my my my…you are quite insane…*takes away your cookie dough*…no more of that for you…*starts eating it herself*…and I won't scar you for life with my actions with Tom again…^_~…and, as you can see…I didn't update the day after so :-P…and, after all, Tom being decent for 5 seconds (actually it was more like 2) isn't that horrible…just a bit unexpected is all…

Liv – well…they said it was from a Muggle shop in London…and that seemed the best way for him to have gotten it, what with the events of WWII during his time at school and all…but, yes, it is a bit interesting…

RivanKnight - ^_^…my Tom's getting more evil…of course!!! Who do you think he is? Dumbledore?! Well…I take that back…I trust Voldemort more than I trust Albus…yes, the old bats are horrible, he's got to have a reason to hate Muggles, you know…it's a pretty strong reason there, if I do say so myself…*eats cookies*…next time, bring white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, kay?


	45. Going Home

Chapter #45 – Going Home

Tom woke in the morning with Lena lying against him. He moved her gently then kissed her forehead. Though she moaned in her sleep when he eased out of bed, he succeeded in not waking her. He looked at the porcelain clock on the mantle and saw that it was already after nine. He dressed then went through his things just to make sure that he _did_ have all his things before he headed back to school that afternoon. Once he was sure that he had everything, he walked to the window and looked out at the dewy landscape.

The window looked out into the rear garden. It was huge and overflowing with herbs and flowers. He was sure that there were some rare herbs there, this was a wealthy wizard's home after all. There was a fishpond in each of the four corners of the garden. A large fountain stood at the center of the garden with four benches around it. It was very lovely and he wondered what it must have been like to have grown up in such a place. He thought that Lena was extremely lucky to have had all of this.

"What are you doing up so early," came Lena's groggy voice suddenly.

Tom turned to her, seeing her eyes were still closed. She was running her hand over the pillow where he had slept. "I'm used to getting up even earlier than this."

Lena groaned and rolled over, burying her face into his pillow. "I don't want to go back to school today. I haven't finished shopping yet."

Shaking his head at her muffled statement, he walked to where she had set out a pair of lavender robes the night before and picked them up. He was always amazed with her obsession with shopping. She would put off everything else to go shopping if she had the time and money…and she would _always_ make time to go shopping. He strode back over to the bed. "There are shops in Hogsmeade."

"But I like being able to go to Diagon whenever I want to." Her voice was still slightly muffled. "We can only go to Hogsmeade on certain weekends. And I don't like that."

The Slytherin scoffed and lay her robes on the bed beside her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, since he could not reach her lips. "You will live."

Lena moaned when he kissed her cheek and turned over slightly, getting a very passionate kiss on the lips. Once he moved away from her some, she finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. "But I like to shop when _I_ want to."

Tom shook his head again and straightened up. He walked back to the window and looked back out at the garden. He heard Lena get up after a moment and dress. She then walked to him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her cheek against his back. He gently touched her arm and caressed her soft skin, causing her make a soft moan of happiness.

"It's beautiful here."

"I'm glad you think so." She nuzzled into his back some. "You'll get to spend a lot more time here. Father's already said you can come and stay next summer with us."

"If I don't stay at the school."

Lena propped her chin up on his shoulder and frowned, even though he could not see it. "You don't want to stay with me, my lord?"

"It's not that, it is just that I have things that I need to do."

"Oh." Though she understood what he meant, she still could not help but feel rather hurt over it. "I see."

Tom spun around and held one of her arms tightly. The red tint that had begun to tint the edge of his irises when he was angry came back. "We will have _plenty_ of time to spend together _after_ we graduate."

The young woman looked at him rather puzzled. "You want me to stay with you after we graduate?"

Disbelieving her words, he let her go and drew back some, looking at her. She thought… "Yes, I want you to stay with me after we graduate. You have not lost your _usefulness_ to me yet. But I doubt that you could _ever_ lose your usefulness."

Though she knew there was no hidden meaning in his saying "usefulness" she smiled nonetheless. She was glad to know that he wanted her to stay with him. She reached towards him for kiss but a loud crack behind her and Tom's adverted eyes made her fall onto his chest instead with a groan. She hated house elves at times and she knew exactly which one it was. "Yes, Besh?"

The house elf bowed deeply, his long beak-like nose nearly touching the floor. The covered silver tray he was carrying was over his head at the moment while he awaited permission to stand. He had a bad habit of popping in at inconvenient times and he was always scared he would get severely reprimanded for it. "I has brought breakfast for you and your guest, young mistress."

"Thank you, Besh." She walked to the house elf and took the tray from him as he stood and she set it on a table beside her. The house elf vanished as she uncovered the tray. "Mmm."

The smell of sausage and eggs drew Tom to the tray automatically and Lena stuffed a forkful of scrambled eggs in his mouth. He thought they tasted a lot richer than the ones they made at Hogwarts, but that might have just been because of where he was, as well as the fact that he had not had really good food most of the summer.

The two of them sat down and ate breakfast on the floor in front of the fireplace she had in her room. Tom asked, he felt for the first time, about her family. She smiled at him and started talking about her parents happily. He learned that her father was a potion master and worked on the Committee of Experimental Potions at the Ministry of Magic. She said that it was a tradition her family to work with potions, and which was why she had wanted to work with potions after she graduated. Her mother, before she had started getting too sick to work, had worked for the Department of International Cooperation. She then explained about her family's money, which has accumulated over many generations, naming what some of her relatives had done to get the money they had, and said their wealth filled _several_ vaults at Gringotts. Tom found all of it quite interesting, but wondered how he could never have asked her about her family before, and why she had never told him much about her relatives. Though she had not tell him, she had been afraid to mention her family too much ever since their first ride to school together, fearing that it might upset him since he did not know what family felt like.

Once they finished breakfast, Lena then went through her things, making sure her father had gotten all the things she needed for her classes, and some of the extra things she had wanted. She needed new robes but there was a robe shop in Hogsmeade that did Hogwarts robes, mainly since the new Muggle-born students still could not get to Diagon Alley with many of the roads and the trains down. Finding all her things there, she began to go through her books, looking at the various chapter titles and glancing over a few spells and potions.

Tom went through several of his books as well and looked through them. Most of them were the same as Lena's, but Lena was taking Astronomy and History of Magic, and he was not. She was actually taking six classes, two more than she needed to take for her being able to go into the same career as her father. Tom was only taking five, the minimum he needed for becoming an Auror.

It was noon when Lena suddenly said that she needed to go tell her mother goodbye, since they would be leaving soon, and she was sure that it would take nearly an hour before she would be able to leave her mother's room again. She hurried off, saying she would be back as soon as she could, and told him to be ready to leave when she got back.

Tom pulled out the main book for his Defense against the Dark Arts class. He reread the first chapter of the book, which he had already read twice before. That chapter gave an introduction to the evolution of the Dark Arts since ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the Dark Arts really got their start, though it also said that India and China later had "bloomings" of the Dark Arts independently. Tom found it all very fascinating. Though it was history, this was _interesting_ history. Before he got too deep into the second chapter, Lena returned and took the book from him, flipping through it, highly interested in the content, even though she _did_ have her _own_ copy. He glared at her until she gave him the book back and went about gathering up her things.

It was only about half an hour later when four house elves appeared and went to gather the trunks. Tom had to quickly repack the book he had been reading. The house elves then disappeared with the trunks, two with Lena's and one each with Tom's trunk and Taliesin in his cage. Lena and Tom then left the room, hand-in-hand, heading back to the library.

When they entered, Korbin was standing near the fireplace and the four house elves were around him. He was giving them instructions and then they disappeared. Tom wondered if they would actually be able to Apparate into the castle with the trunks. He was sure that there was no way to Apparate onto the grounds. He had read _Hogwarts: A History_ and knew there were spells preventing one from Apparating onto or off of the school's grounds.

"Are you two ready?"

"Yes," Lena said with a smile.

"Then let's go."

The Ravenclaw walked to the fireplace and took what looked like a porcelain candy dish from the mantle. It was full of Floo Powder. "You first, Tom."

With a nod, Tom took a handful and walked to the fire. He stepped into the warm red and orange flames. "The same place as the last time?"

Lena nodded.

Speaking his destination, he disappeared with a whoosh of green flames. A moment later, he appeared in the cottage he had been in the first time he had used Floo Powder. Though he did not land properly, he managed not to stumble too much. Korbin had already Apparated there talking to the elderly witch that lived in there. When he appeared, they both looked at him and smiled. Lena appeared right after him, landing perfectly and with a smile.

"Now," Korbin walked to his daughter, "don't spend this all at once. You're not going to get any more until Christmas."

Lena frowned as she took the large bag of coins. "Alright."

Mr. Westbrook kissed her forehead. "And be sure to write your mother. She really misses you."

"I'll write her as soon as I get to the castle," she seemed almost on the verge of tears, "and then I'll make sure to write her at least once every other day."

"Good." Korbin then turned to Tom and stepped closer to him. "And I would like to start corresponding with you, if that's alright."

"Corresponding with me? About what?"

"I'll let Lena tell you on the way back up to the castle," he leaned close to Tom's ear, "Voldemort."

As Korbin pulled away from him, Tom looked at him rather surprised then looked at Lena, who was smiling. With a nod, the older wizard nodded then vanished with a crack. The elderly witch then motioned for them to get going.

"Off you go." She was smiling. "Get to your school you two."

"Thank you, Dame Osgoode."

The two students left the cottage and headed through Hogsmeade. It was almost completely overcast at the moment and the ground was soggy but not too muddy, thankfully. Tom looked at Lena for a while, wondering if she would tell him why her father wanted to correspond with him but she was not speaking. He sighed, figuring that he would have to ask her.

"So why does your father want to correspond with me?"

"Oh," she smiled, "he wants to talk to you about the Dark Arts."

"Why?"

"He thinks you have promise."

"And how would he know that? And how does he know my _other_ name?"

"I've talked to my father about you. He's interested in you."

Tom stopped glaring at Lena. "You told your father…"

"Yes."

"…_without_ my permission?!"

Lena stopped too, looking back at him. She looked a little on edge with Tom raising his voice. "I trust my father."

"But you did _not_ have my permission to tell him anything about me," he hissed.

Lena shrunk back slightly, suddenly very timid. "I…I'm sorry, my…my lord."

With a growl, Tom turned and started on to the castle without saying anything else to her.

"Please, forgive me, my lord," she said quietly after a moment, not moving.

For a moment he was silent but he stopped again and looked at her, though through narrowed eyes. "You are forgiven, just do not tell your father anything else about me without asking me first."

"Yes, my lord."

"Now come."

The young woman started walking again slowly, her head hung down. She did not like making Tom mad at her. She was scared that he might not want her around him any longer. And she did not think that she could live without him. She had grown too used to being around him and she would do anything to stay with him. She made a silent promise to herself then and there to be fully obedient to him. He was, after all, her lord…

Her master…

*********

To my reviewers – 

demonhorse900 - *sprays fire extinguisher at your random friends*…that better? *tosses empty can aside*…now…where was I? Oh, yes…I will touch your cookie dough if I want…*touch touch touch*…yes…it was unexpected for Tom to be decent…but, well, he hasn't driven it out of himself yet…*pokes you with a pin and helium escapes*…get back down here!

Liv – no, you're not right…Lena will be with Tom for quite some time yet…she's not going to have anything "tragic" happen to her till she about the time of Voldie's rise to power…and even then, there are worse things (read: "things that are far more tragic, horrible, etc.") than death…and there's no need to feel sorry for Lena…she's doing it all to herself…she could pull out of it at anytime, you know…and, um, TOM'S MINE!!!

RivanKnight – thanks for the cookies…*eating while responding*…yes, Tom's getting a wee bit further into her family…always a good thing, eh? Or could be bad…never know…though I don't know if "lovebirds" is the right term for them…

MHPP – thanks! ^_^


	46. Searching for Spells

Chapter #46 – Searching for Spells

All the students gathered that evening for the Welcoming Feast and greeted all the newest students, which included eleven new ones to Slytherin, twelve to each Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and thirteen to Hufflepuff. Of course there was one new student which caused much commotion among the Slytherins because he was placed into Ravenclaw. His name was Augustus Rookwood. Tom did not understand why this was such a big deal, but it was quickly explained to him as that the Rookwoods were almost always _all_ in Slytherin. They thought it was near blasphemy that a Rookwood should be a bookworm. The Ravenclaws teased the Slytherins about it all through the feast.

Classes started the next day. The new sixth years thought it was quite strange that they suddenly only had two or three classes a day (instead of four or five) since they were only taking classes that pertained to the careers they wished to have after they left school. All the houses were included in these classes, which did make them somewhat larger than usual, but there were still usually no more than thirty or thirty-five students in a class. The Charms class was to be, by far, the largest one since it was a class that nearly all careers required.

Their first class was Herbology, which only had about sixteen students taking it. They immediately started getting into rarer and more dangerous plants, like the Dancing Toadstools they took care of the first few lessons, that, if the student was not careful, would be entranced by the fungi's swaying motions and stay there to watch them for days at a time. Professor Madril said that if one's willpower was not strong enough, one could die watching them, which is what the semi-sentient plant attempted. Unlike most other fungi, it actually had teeth, which it would use on its victims once they fell unconscious with hunger and thirst. One of the Ravenclaw girls had to be slapped by her boyfriend so he would not be enchanted fully.

The NEWT level Herbology classes would also have them going out into the forest to collect certain plants at different times during the year, which sometimes would require them to go out after dark to look for some night blooming plants or to collect plants at certain moon phases. Most of the students were not too thrilled with this prospect, knowing that even during the day the Forbidden Forest was not a very safe place. Tom, though, was rather looking forward to trekking off into the darkness of the forest, having longed to go into the woods ever since his first year.

Potions was that afternoon in a different room than they usually had the class in. They were to be brewing some potions that would take nearly a month to finish, which would mean they would have to be coming to the classroom to work on their potions after the normal class period was over, even on the weekends. All the students knew immediately that the class would be quite hard and be very time consuming. But, they also knew that this was good practice for when they graduated, for not all potions took only a few hours or a few days (as they had done some of those the previous year) to make.

The next day Tom had his first NEWT Defense against the Dark Arts class. It had always been his favorite class but he had a feeling that this year would be extra wonderful. Tom was sure that most of the students taking the class with him were not planning to study the Dark Arts as he was, but Professor de Nuit knew that there were surely some students that were going to be drawn down to the Dark Side of magic. The first thing she did in class was to make a speech in which was addressed to "those in this class that are interested in the Dark Arts for _other_ reasons" and said to them that she "hoped some of the things you will learn during this year will deter your desires." But Tom was sure, if anything, what he would learn in here would only help him as he studied more about the Dark Arts.

The only thing that he did not like about this class was Daniel Black being in it. Though Tom had come to find out that most of the Blacks were different in temperament (there was a Black in Slytherin that was Daniel's cousin), Daniel was clearly against the Dark Arts. Tom had grown to dislike him considerably over the past few years. He had been one of the main Gryffindors out to discover who the real heir of Slytherin was the previous year, and he still talked about it. He was also quite vocal in his opinion that Rubeus had not been the heir, as some people were rumoring him to be.

After seeing how much more advanced their NEWT classes were and finding out exactly how much more work they would be, Tom knew that even his plans to take Mudbloods to Lilith would be hard pressed. That evening, with it being Friday, he went down to see her, and disappointed her greatly when he told her that he was so busy. She made him promise that he would let her out again, but she said that he could wait as long as he had to before he did, for she had plenty of patience. She also had a decent enough supply of food from the creatures that became lost in the caverns, so she would survive. Tom was pleased to hear that and was happy to make the promise.

That weekend, while Tom and his friends were out walking around the grounds, they saw Hagrid working away with Ogg on the garden that they usually grew the school's pumpkins in for the Halloween Feast. They all sniggered at him then walked on. Rubeus had saw them, though, and wondered about Tom, as he had all summer. He had gotten into so much trouble because of him…and for nothing. He had a burning feeling that he was the one that had been behind all the attacks the previous year, but he had no way to prove it. He quickly went back to work with Ogg, though, so his "guardian" would not wonder why he was not working.

On Monday, Tom had Transfiguration in the morning. He hated it more now than he had the previous four years that Dumbledore had been teaching it. The only thing that Tom really enjoyed about the class was that they would soon be starting human transformations, which had a few of the teenagers worried, but most of the students were so good at transfiguration that there was little real need to worry about something going _too_ horribly wrong. Though they were currently still practicing with smaller creatures before they got into trying it on other students, which was a relief to many.

Charms was that afternoon. Professor Mercer started them off with having to put an animal to sleep. It was a rather complex spell and even though all of the students in the class were rather good with charms, there were not many students that had succeeded at putting their owl or cat to sleep before the end of the lesson. This was certainly turning out to be a rather difficult class already.

Starting the first full week back at the castle, Tom spent much of his time in the library with Lena and his roommates working on the assignments they had for their classes. They had a lot of homework that had been assigned: practicing new spells and writing essays on the theory behind them or on certain herbs' properties and ingredients for potions. But Tom was not _only_ studying for his classes, for he also had some _other_ spells to find. Whenever he found a spare moment, he was off looking for the information he needed.

Looking for spells to shield himself from being detected by the Ministry while he did magic away from school was going to be rather hard, especially since he did not plan to tell Lena about his search. He needed to find a good enough spell that would hopefully also follow him when he Apparated, which would make things so much easier for him. Then he could use any spell he wanted to kill his father, no matter how illegal it was. Though he was sure that killing anyone was just illegal in the wizarding world as it was in the Muggle world, but he did not care. He searched the main library and the Restricted Section, finding several books that lead him to look in others when they discussed other sources, but he was not finding what he wanted.

Though he knew that Lena was wondering what was taking his mind away from his work so often, he could not bring himself to tell her what he was planning, even when she did ask the several times that she did. He knew that she would most certainly disagree with him. She seemed to be a bit more "reasonable" about such things and would try and talk him out of it, he was sure, but he felt it _had_ to be done. His life had been destroyed by his father and he would take his father's life for it. 

As he searched the Restricted Section, he ran across a book that was simply entitled _Remembrance_. He was drawn to it and took it down to see what it contained. He found within it an assortments of spells that would aid in memory, such as pensives and memory enhancing charms, which he knew were not all that safe to perform if one was not already a well-trained wizard (which was why the book was _certainly_ in the Restricted Section). It all _seemed_ interesting, but he did not know why he could not put the book down, as though he was looking in it for some solution to an unknown problem. Then after finding a few spells that sparked his interest and figuring out almost innately how they could be pieced together to get a different result, he suddenly thought of the diary that he had gotten only about two weeks earlier. He had been so worried about disappointing Lilith…and here was his solution! He could leave his memories in his diary and then give it to someone he trusted and teach them, through it, to get to Lilith. He would, of course, have to clear it with Lilith first, but he was sure that she would agree, but at the moment he did not have the time to run down there and talk to her about this newly formed plan.

Tom had also started corresponding with Mr. Westbrook, though Tom still felt rather leery of talking to him about too many things for some reason, even though he did not know why. Though he knew that Lena's father was interested in the Dark Arts and had many friends that were Dark wizards and witches, he still could not help but want to keep some things to him even when Korbin asked. He could not pinpoint why he was feeling that way, though. It bothered him so much that he tried to uncover the reason behind these feelings, because he had nothing against Korbin. But he trusted his instincts, and would follow them.

Of course, there were even more annoying things that Tom was having to deal with than trying to keep some things from the prying letters that Korbin often sent, and that was Dumbledore. The Transfiguration teacher seemed to be keeping an extra close watch on him. In class it was not all that noticeable, but when he was watching him outside of class, it was all too obvious. The auburn haired man was often in the library and Tom knew that he was trying to figure out what the prefect was doing. A few times the professor was even in the Restricted Section with him, watching him out of the corner of his eye. It irked Tom to no end.

It was about a month later when Lena, still knowing nothing about what Tom was researching so secretly, caught him flipping through a book she wondered if it really pertained to any of his classes. The title was _Getting Away with It_. She looked from the title on the spine to him with a peculiar look, but he said that it was for an essay he had to write for Defense against the Dark Arts. But Lena knew better, for she knew the title of the essay he was having to write for that class was "Discuss the Foundation of One of the Current Offices of Auring in Europe or North America." And she was sure that there was no information on _that_ topic in a book with _that_ title. Still, she did not bother him further, for if he did not wish to tell her what it was that he was _really_ doing, he must not need her help, which bothered her somewhat, since she was scared he might think he did not need her any more.

Finally, after nearly three months of looking, he found the spell he wanted. Though when he first found it, he thought the name should be "The Dark Wizard's Best Friend," but he thought that the real name was not bad either, the "Barrier of Obscurity". This was what he had hoped for. It was a shield that would travel with him no matter where he went and no matter how he traveled. If he flew, it would create a sphere around him that spanned forty feet and all directions that would obscure the spell he used so it was undetectable to anyone outside that sphere. He smiled to himself and memorized the incantation – _Ignot Obexus_.

Now that he had found that, he felt he was ready to start looking for information on how to Apparate and trying to find good spells that would kill his father. First he focused on finding about the theory of Apparition. He had heard that Apparition was very difficult and should only be attempted by well-trained wizards (or those that had already graduated) but he was sure that if one understood the principles behind the magic, anyone could Apparate easily. But the fact that he did not doubt his magical prowess made him all the more confident that he could. Thought the incantation was rather easy to remember, he knew that it took a lot of magic behind it. He found all the information he could on it so he would be sure that when he finally _did_ try to Apparate, he would not fail and get splinched. And the thought of getting splinched was the _only_ thing that really worried him.

While he was studying that, he found a few books in the Restricted Section on general Dark spells and was sure that there would be some killing curses in them, but he amazingly found none in the first several books he found. He would not give up, though. The Christmas holiday was fast approaching and he would have plenty of time then, he hoped, to look for the curse he felt was right.

*********

To my reviewers – 

demon horse 900 – if you think Tom's freaking you out now…just wait and see what happens later on when he actually starts becoming Voldemort (I've not even touched the tip of the iceberg my dear)…and Lena would have more "feminine pride" except for the fact that she totally insane and would, for some reason, do whatever Tom asked of her (and I do mean anything…well, except hurting Tom, that is)…*stands by to clean up the splat mark you make when you hit the ground*…

CheshireCat283 – nope…didn't scare me…saw you coming…^_~…yeah, I've had been wondering where my other regular reviewers disappeared to – you and RivanKnight – and you showed back up…I was so happy when I saw you there…I understand the feeling of being bogged down with school…I felt that way before I graduated…thanks for saying that I've gotten Tom turning evil nicely…*giggles*…and Lilith will be appreciative of the mudbloods when I can get them to her…and, yes, as this chapter points out, Tom will go back and see his lovely ancestor's basilisk…and it's okay that you don't get to read that often…we all fall behind in things…

Liv – of course Tom's got to be getting angry…those things kind of go hand in hand…and Tom's going to have issues in the second part of the trilogy (i.e. – issues over his failed attempts to escape his own impurity)…and that makes me a bit worried over Harry…so much anger in him…*speaks like Yoda* fear turns to anger, anger turns to hate, hate…leads to the Dark Side…*cackles insanely*…*claps Harry on to join the Dark Side*…*looks around nervously for Harry fans that would have my head for that*…


	47. Unforgivable

Chapter #47 – Unforgivable

Right before the Christmas holiday began, Tom realized that he would be very busy all the way through it. He hated all the work he had to do and knew that it would severely limit his ability to search for the spell he needed, as well as do the practicing he needed for both the barrier and Apparating. Still, he hoped to get most of his work done early enough that he could do everything he wanted to. But there was suddenly a lesson in Defense against the Dark Arts that made all his plans to search completely obsolete.

"Now," started Professor de Nuit at the beginning of their last class that term, "today I am going to discuss the three Unforgivable Curses with you. Can any of you tell me what one of them is, and give the incantation if you can? I know some of you know of them already, at least."

Daniel Black, of course, had his hand up first and was called on. "The Cruciatus Curse. The incantation is _crucio_."

"Right. The Cruciatus Curse causes the person that it is performed on to feel extreme pain throughout their body. Most that have been its victims say they had prayed for death because the pain was so great. The pain lasts as long as the caster's wand is pointed at the victim. It is often used by Dark wizards to torture information from their victims." She looked around the class. "Who can give me another?"

Several hands went up. She called on a Hufflepuff. "The Imperius Curse, but I'm not sure of the incantation."

"The incantation is _imperio_. It is used to put a person under its effects into total submission to the caster, who is linked directly to the mind of the victim. It makes you like a puppet, and is said, by those that have been under its effects, to leave you with an untraceable feeling of peace and happiness as it wipes your mind clean of all thoughts. The duration of this curse varies, the caster can break it at anytime, but usually it will last until the desired task is accomplished. This is the only curse that can be thrown off, but it takes a wizard with very strong willpower." She looked around the class again. "And the last one?"

For a while there was a pause. Finally a Gryffindor raised her hand. "The…the Killing Curse."

Tom instantly perked up and was listening attentively.

"The incantation is _a_…_avada_…"

"It's alright, Danielle." The professor said when she realized the young witch could not say the words. "The incantation is _avada kedavra_."

Tom began repeating these two words to himself over and over again silently. This was the thing that he had been hoping to find, and it had been dropped into his lap! He smiled, thinking that he was quite lucky.

"It causes instant death, leaving the victim unmarked but nonetheless dead. Most don't even have time to scream." She looked around at the faces that held mixed emotions about the topic they were covering, not noticing Tom's slightly pleased look and his muttering the curse to himself. "Now, why are these three curses considered 'unforgivable'?"

A Ravenclaw raised his hand. "There are no known countercurses to them, which makes blocking them impossible and so you cannot defend yourself."

"Exactly, though, as I said, if you are strong enough, you can throw off the Imperius Curse but even very powerful wizards often fail at doing that. These curses _can_ be dodge, though, if you're fast enough." She looked around again. "I would love to teach all of you to be able to throw off the Imperius Curse, but even if I did that, I could end up with the punishment that accompanies all of these curses. Can anyone tell me what this punishment is?"

Silence ensued. It was a deeper silence than the one before the Killing Curse had been mentioned. The professor knew why too, no one really liked to think about what the punishment for these curses were – not even the ones that used them. Most considered it bad enough just having a shorter sentence for some lesser crime. After nearly a full minute, which seemed like an eternity for the class, a Gryffindor raised his hand. De Nuit nodded towards him.

"The…the punishment is a life sentence in Az…Azkaban."

"That's right." She had seen a shudder go through most of her students when the word "Azkaban" had been spoken. "Now, why is it that the fortress prison is so feared that most of you do not even want to think about it, let alone mention it?"

More silence. Professor de Nuit sighed and decided that it would be very beneficial to finish this part of the lesson without asking the class' participation any longer. The students did all look rather terrified at the thought of Azkaban and she knew they had the right to be. The guards _were_ very feared, for they were quite horrid creatures. It was a good thing they were controlled by the Ministry and were not a major threat to the general population.

"The reason that Azkaban is so feared is because of the guards, correct?" She saw the class almost all nod at once. "The guards are dementors…"

Tom suddenly knew why the class was acting so strangely, for he had not really understood. He had read about the dementors in Defense against the Dark Arts before and while he was looking for information on basilisks as well. He understood know why the prison was so feared. He had thought that he had read something about the prison and now he remembered where it had been.

"…and they have the ability to banish the very happiness out of the air and extinguish all light by their mere presence. Though at first it was thought that dementors absorbed the happiness, it is more that they chase it away and replace it with a sense of hopelessness. The prisoners of Azkaban are often considered shells of who they used to be after they have been in there after only a few months. Though, luckily, when one is freed, all sense of self returns to the former prisoner." She looked around the class, hoping that the future Dark wizards she _knew_ were in the class would heed what she was about to say. She looked towards the Slytherins, the group she knew had the most potential for becoming Dark wizards. "There has _never_ been a successful attempted escape from the fortress. They have always been caught, and those attempting to escape are given the 'dementor's kiss'. This takes the soul from the prisoner but it does not kill him, for the body can live on without the soul, but they are nothing more than truly empty shells, one of the worst fates anyone can suffer."

The class had shuddered again when she had told them this. She always hoped that this lesson would strike _some_ fear into the minds of those future Dark wizards she knew she was teaching, but she would never know really, for she did not know the minds of her students, though at times she wish she did.

"Now, for the rest of the lesson today, we will cover the history of where these spells came from, when the laws against them were enacted, and we will also discuss, in further detail, the use of the dementors as the guards of Azkaban."

As the class all got ready to take notes, Tom was still deep in thought about the Killing Curse. He did not care about the _possible_ consequences. That shield he had discovered was supposed to keep any and all spells from being detected, and he was sure that it would keep an Unforgivable Curse from being detected as well. He smiled mentally as he took his notes on the history of the deadly curse, which was the oldest of the three. Yes, this was what he would use on his father. Nothing but the best for killing his father.

*********

To my reviewers – 

Liv – I'm glad you liked the descriptions of the classes…I did try my hardest to think of what the NEWT classes would be like…I know they'll be more in depth and all, but we'll not know for sure till Rowling gets that next book out, will we? And the reasons why Tom doesn't trust Korbin won't be made clear until the second part…after he's graduated and started traveling…hope you'll stick around until then…

ChesireCat283 – I think of all the little details? What details? Lilith thanks you for the Mudbloods…^_^…and thanks for hailing master…he appreciates it greatly…*grin*…


	48. The Raven

A/N : hmm…this is a slightly strange chapter…and this opinion is coming from the author! Hope you enjoy it anyway…^_~

Chapter #48 – The Raven

The Christmas holiday began and Tom went about getting all the assignments he had been given done as soon as possible so he would have plenty of time to do the things he wanted to do. With a long essay for each class and a potion that he had to keep an eye on over the holiday, though, he was going to be hard pressed to get it all done before classes started again in three weeks. The essay for Defense against the Dark Arts, though, was well worth the time, though, for they had to write more about the history and punishments of the Unforgivable Curses. Luckily, by the time it was Christmas, he was finished with three of his five essays and was well on his way to finishing his fourth. He knew then that he would be able to do all that he had been planning.

Of course, Lena was much more pressed for her work. She _always_ overdid things. She had two potions going in the potions lab (one for extra credit she did _not_ need) and she had a five foot essay she was having to do for Professor Binns, plus all the other essays for her other five classes, which luckily were not as long as the one for Binns. Still, she was getting stressed, and though she had always tried not to show it to Tom, he knew she was getting worn out by all the work. But Tom could not help but think there was something else bothering her as well. Her constant working, though, gave Tom plenty of time away from any questioning she still might have about all the little research he had been doing since they returned to Hogwarts.

The day before Christmas, with Lena still working away feverishly in the library, Tom asked permission to go down to Hogsmeade alone for a little last minute present shopping, which his head of house agreed to amazingly, but told him to be back before sunset. Tom told him he would be back by that time, and set off by himself. But he had more on his mind than getting an extra present while he was in town.

When he had passed the winged boar flanked gates, he headed happily to the edge of the town. Once he was sure he was far enough from the magic around the school that prevented Apparition, he cast the barrier spell around himself. If it were true how well the Ministry kept tabs on the students, he did not want to be found out, and he knew the barrier would prevent anyone finding out. He did _not_ want to be caught, especially his first time doing this.

With all the studying he had done to learn how to Apparate, he knew he would do it right, but he still had a worry or two. Saying the memorized incantation, he felt the sense of slight lightheadedness wash over him and he knew instantly that he had done it right. A moment later he found himself where he had wanted to be, right next to the nearest building with his left hand exactly three inches from the water barrel next to it. He smiled. It had worked _perfectly_.

After that, he dispelled the barrier around himself and went off to find a present for Lena. She had been working so hard and seemed so depressed that he wanted to give her something a bit more special than what he had already gotten for her – which was a new potions book. And, knowing that she rather liked jewelry after being in her room that summer, he knew that she would probably love another piece. So he went, for the first time, to the jewelry shop that was in Hogsmeade. Two hours later, he emerged with a silver necklace that had a teardrop-shaped blue sapphire dangling from it. The sapphire was the most amazing thing he had ever seen, having a dazzling multi-colored star-burst effect in the middle when it was turned the right way to catch the light. He hoped that Lena would love it.

Christmas morning came and all their presents were opened. He had gotten lots of interesting Dark Arts things, including an extremely interesting looking book called _Medieval Methods of Magical Mayhem: A Guide for Modern Dark Wizards_ from Rex. He spent so much of the morning flipping through books and examining the set of hexing runes he had gotten from Aurius that he ended up being late to breakfast.

Though Tom did not see Lena at breakfast since he got there so late, she did sneak into their house that afternoon to thank him for the necklace in her own _special_ way. Tom was pleased that she liked it so much, but she then told him that _any_ present from him made her happy, because it was from him and she would have been happy with just the book.

Just before the New Year, as a homework break for himself one afternoon, when most of the students were out in the falling snow and the halls were silent, he sneaked into the second floor girls' toilet and went down to see Lilith. It was the first time he had gotten to see her since right after he had gotten back to the school. He told her about his idea for his diary, and she thought it was absolutely ingenious and fully agreed with the idea. He was pleased that she had liked it too, for his diary was nearly finished. There were just one or two more spells that he needed to put on it and it would be done.

The holiday had passed quickly after Christmas Day and classes started back to more piles of homework and fifth and seventh years beginning to feel the panic of their coming exams. Tom was glad he did not have his NEWTs that year, and that made him feel much more unstressed, even under the assignments that piled up everyday. The days seemed to fly by as it got closer to spring. Soon enough the weather was turning nice again and the days were getting slowly clearer, warmer, and longer. By the last day of February, Tom and all his friends were able to go out and have lunch on the grounds because the weather was especially nice.

One Saturday afternoon in early March, they sat around by the lake talking about what they were doing in their classes and how much they all detested their assignments. Lena was leaning against Tom, as she usually did, and she was playing with her necklace that she had gotten from Tom at Christmas, watching the star-burst pattern appear as she moved it to catch the sunlight. Crinis and Nathan were working steadily on assignments, not often adding their say in the conversations. Artemisia Nott, one of Lena's roommates, was reading away on a book, but she was quite capable of reading and talking at the same time.

Suddenly everyone fell silent and looked at Tom in mild shock. A bird had just landed on his shoulder, a small letter clutched in its beak. But this bird was no owl, though. It cawed at everyone as they stared at it, their curiosity mounting, especially Darcy's.

"A…a raven," Macnair said quietly.

Tom took the letter from it but the bird did not fly off, instead it cawed at the group more. Unfolding the little letter, he gazed at it and saw a script he had never seen before. He suddenly wondered if this were some joke. Ravens did not deliver messages, owls did. But he wanted to see what this letter was about anyway so he read it.

__

"I have heard about your interest in the Dark Arts from one of my associates and he has said that you have potential to be a great Dark wizard. He wanted me to write you and see for myself what you are made of. Please respond through the raven this letter was sent with. Cordially, G."

"What the hell is this all about?" Tom stared at the letter, trying to figure out why someone would have sent this to him. "Who is this?"

"It's a letter from Grindelwald," Darcy said, rubbing the back of the raven, who had quieted down with his stroking his feathers.

"Grindelwald? Why the…"

"I'd respond to it," said Sabrina Goyle, one of the seventh years that was in the group, gazing almost longingly at the little piece of parchment Tom was holding.

"Why should I? Sending letters by a raven…How absurd!"

"But that's how he sends his letters." Macnair was looking at the letter to try and see what it said. "Then those that get them know who they are from immediately and, when he receives them back, he knows that he can trust the person that sent the letter."

"And how do _you_ know this?"

"I've had a few ravens from him," he said with a smile.

Tom looked at the letter again then looked at Lena, _knowing_ that her father had something to do with it. He felt, now more than ever, that he could not trust Korbin at all. But, still, if this _was_ from Grindelwald… He sighed and took a quill and small sheet of parchment from Crinis. Tom wrote a quick response, but made sure that no one could see it, not even Lena.

__

"I would be very interested in corresponding with you about the Dark Arts. From what I have heard from everyone, you are a great Dark wizard and I think that you may help me in my own journey down this path. Sincerely, V."

When he was finished, he rolled up the little letter and gave it to the raven, which immediately flew off with the letter in its mouth. Tom had never thought that letters could be delivered any other way than by owl, but then Darcy said, just offhandedly, that ravens were even smarter than owls. Tom thought that using ravens was very interesting, if not somewhat _telling_ to onlookers. After the raven had flown from sight, he and his friends went back to talking.

*********

To my reviewers – 

ChesireCat283 – well…I have to tie things into the books or else it won't be accurate…right? ^_~ And you're master's slave, are you? *looks you up and down* I guess you'll do…:-P

lord archimonde – thanks for the review but…uh…what did you say?

Liv – liked the lesson? ^_^ YEAH!!! And, of course Tom has to be so wrapped up he feels invincible…that's one of the things about Tom/Voldemort…they thought they were unbeatable but then ickle baby Harry messed up his idea of himself…think it might have knocked some sense into him, though…that'd be a good thing…sort of…


	49. Lena’s Tears

A/N : I have a request to make of my readers…I am currently in need of a new beta reader as that my original one seems to have dropped off the planet…if you're interested, please either leave your offer for being beta in a review with your e-mail provided or e-mail me directly (my addy's in my profile) and title the message "beta reader"…thank you…and do enjoy this chapter…

Chapter #49 – Lena's Tears

Spring crept up on the castle, setting flowers blooming all around the school. Their Herbology class went out into the forest to gather some wild herbs on the nights of the full and new moons of March. Professor Madril talked about symbiotic relationships among some of the plants that grew in the forest on several other occasions, showing the class the plants she was referring to. The class also got to see a glimpse of a centaur one day, who was watching the class closely, lingering off to the side behind the trees.

Tom continued his correspondence with Mr. Westbrook and Grindelwald. He spoke to Grindelwald more about his studies and plans than he did to Lena's father. He thought it might just be because he knew Grindelwald _was_ a Dark Wizard, and Lena's father was only _interested_ in the Dark Arts. But he still did not know why he did not trust Korbin, he knew Lena did, and he trusted Lena.

One afternoon in early April, Tom saw Dumbledore watching him from one of the windows of a corridor that looked out onto the courtyard he was in. Tom had just gotten a raven a moment before he had felt the professor's eyes on him. He had a feeling that Dumbledore knew what the bird meant too. They looked at each other only a moment longer then the professor turned and left. Tom, though, watched the windows, wondering if he might look out again, but did not.

The sixth year knew that the Transfiguration professor had been watching him more since he had returned to school, but Tom had succeeded in ignoring his gaze in class, and because he had been so busy. But still, this particular time had been somewhat unsettling. Tom still managed to shake off that eerie feeling, though, and responded to Grindelwald's letter. But the next time in class, Dumbledore seemed a bit more watchful of the prefect.

In April, Tom noticed that Lena, who had been rather happy recently, had suddenly fallen into a very deep depression. Even though she always tried to smile around him, her mask of happiness was slipping frequently. She would not tell him what was troubling her, saying that she did "not want to concern her lord with it." Tom was not sure, but he had a feeling that it dealt with her mother.

By the beginning of May, Lena had not gotten any better and Tom was _really_ starting to worry about her. He had never seen her that way before and he hated that she would not confide in him what was going on. Her grades had even begun to slip some. One morning, though, after the mail had been delivered, Tom saw her run from the Great Hall. She had seemed like she was crying and he heard the Ravenclaws asking each other what was wrong. Before any of her fellow Ravenclaws could go after her, though, he was already running from the Great Hall to find her.

Going through the corridors, not knowing which direction she had gone in, his worry only increased. What had been in the letter he knew she had received? Was it what he thought it was? As he checked out windows to see if she had gone to any of the courtyards, he finally saw her. He hurried to the nearest way into that courtyard and ran to her. She looked like she was sobbing almost uncontrollably when he approached her.

"Lena?"

The young woman looked up and it was very evident that she had been crying. Her face was red and the tears glistened on her cheeks in the sunlight. Her breathing was quite raspy. She tried to wipe away her tears before he reached her so she would be more presentable to him. "My…my lord…"

"What was the letter about," he asked as he sat beside her on the stone bench.

"My…my mum died," she said slowly and quietly, looking down, about ready to start crying again, but holding them back now that she was in his presence. She would not cry in front of him…she would not!

Tom closed his eyes and hung his head down, having feared that that was what it was. This was the one situation he did not know how to cheer her up in. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, she's been sick on and off so much, you know that. It was just a matter of time, like the healers all said." She looked at the crumpled letter in her hand, her whole body trembling. "My dad said he also wrote to Professor Dippet and asked that I be excused from school to go to the funeral."

"Give your father my condolences," he said, looking back at her and putting his hand to her cheek, wiping away a tear she had missed.

"I will." She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for your concern, my lord."

"When it comes to your happiness," he managed a smile, "I am always concerned."

Lena smiled at him, glad to hear him say that.

***

Lena was gone the rest of the week and did not return until Sunday afternoon. She did not come down that evening for dinner and Tom was rather worried about her, though his anxiety had not really gone away any in the first place. Though he saw her in class the next morning, she seemed more stressed than she had been before the previous Tuesday when she had gotten the letter. In the evenings she was working to catch up with her studies, especially since she had a failed potion that she had to remake plus another one they had started the previous Friday.

For nearly two full weeks, she stayed in her room studying, not coming to the library except to get books she needed. She did not talk to Tom when she saw him, even in class. He did not even get a smile from her. He began to wonder if something had happened while she had been home and she did not want to be with him any more…or if her father had said something and forbidden them being together. But that was a crazy notion…Korbin _did_ like him after all. Or did he? Tom wondered.

It was during that time that he realized just how much he had grown used to her being around him. They _had_ been friends since their first year and she had helped him so much. She was nearly always with him and there was certainly an empty spot where she used to be, and not just when it came to the seat beside him. He honestly did not know if he could bear her not coming back to him.

It was only when Lena had gotten all her work caught up and all the potions done she had to do that she felt better. No matter what had happened when she was home, she was still going to go back to Tom…she had to. She sneaked down to the Slytherin common room and went to Tom's room without him knowing. She was tired of not being near him at all. Though there was a nagging voice in the back of her head about it all.

When Tom came in that evening, after not seeing her at dinner, he was surprised to see her in his bed fast asleep. He smiled and, not caring he still had work to do, walked to her. He curled up beside her, holding her tightly in his arms. Soon he drifted off to sleep as well, having not bothered to change out of his robes first. He had her back, and that was all that mattered…at the moment, at least.

*********

To my reviewers – 

Liv – well…I think you just really loved this chapter, now didn't you…^_~

Lady Snake – you know, I read most of your bio…yes, I'd have to say you're quite insane…but that's alright…I'm insane as well, though don't show it to the world…guess that means I have closet insanity, ne? But, anyway, you love master, eh? And you think he's wonderful too, eh? Well, I'll have to tell him that…hope you continue to think the story and Tom are great…

demon horse 900 – yes, sadly, Tom will make Lena go insane…but that'll be about chapter 30 or so of the second part…but, no, you can't be her healer when it happens because she won't be seeking treatment…he won't be trying to get the dementors on his side for a while…but, the killing curse is a different story…interesting idea as to why Tom's scared of Dumbledore, but I think it's just the fact that Dumbledore has about 100 more years of experience at magic than him…*kills Luna's lion hat and steals her Ravenclaw one*…Ravenclaw rule!!!


	50. Practice Makes Perfect…Evil

A/N : ick…this is the chapter I actually have slightly poor historical (or in this case "legend") information listed…if any of you have see _Bedknobs and Broomsticks_ you know that at the end of that movie they drove the Germans out of England…well, this was based on a story that witches of England had done magic on the southern beaches of England to repel the Nazi invasion…but this happened nearer the beginning of the war in like the summer of 1940…in this chapter, I had not remember that fact until _after_ I had written this chapter and posted the other chapter where it could have happened, so, I kept it as is…but, there's no telling how many times the witches helped the Muggles out, you know…^_~…and a VERY hearty thanks to my new beta-reader, CheshireCat283…

Chapter #50 – Practice Makes Perfect…Evil

With Lena back at his side, Tom felt much better, especially since she was not sad anymore, or was just hiding it very well, as he had found out she usually did. His mind could get off her well-being and back to practicing those spells he would need for over the summer. Even though he still had a few months before his planned "trip" to see his father, he knew that that time would most likely go by quickly, so he would not be able to postpone practicing the spells for much longer.

Of course, his classes were taking up a lot of his time but at least he was doing very well in all of them. Most of the professors said that he was probably the best student in his year and almost always made an example of his work, except in potions where Lena was far better than him. Most of his classmates, as well as his roommates, swore that he would be the Head Boy the next year. He did not know what to think about that though. He did not like all the things that the Head Boy had to do. There was too much responsibility in the position having to be in charge of the students and handling problems that arose with them and he already had enough work with his classes and prefect duties. But, if he _did_ get it, he was hoping that Lena would be the Head Girl, so she could stand right beside him in the position.

Before the start of June, he had begun to go out into the Forbidden Forest to practice the Killing Curse on creatures that he ran across. Though in the beginning the curse was not strong enough to actually kill the creatures he used it on, it did stun them for a while. He had not been expecting it to be perfect anyway when he first started to use it, but he was still quite pleased with the results he was getting. As the days wore on, he could actually feel the spell becoming stronger, echoing his growing desire to kill. And that made him _very_ hopeful.

Even though his finals were fast approaching, Tom was still practicing his spells every chance he got. While his trips into the forest were providing him with all the practice he could ever possibly want for the Killing Curse, each chance he got to go to Hogsmeade since Christmas, he used the chance to practice his Apparating. He had gotten rather used to that means of travel and was practicing going farther and farther every time. At first it was only a few feet, but he soon felt confident enough to try going to the horizon, then farther. By the time the next to last trip to Hogsmeade occurred, he had successfully Apparated to a location in Edinburgh that he had only ever seen in a photo. He felt so euphoric about his accomplishment that when he returned to Hogsmeade he could hardly keep from telling all his friends what he had just done – but he did, thankfully, keep this to himself.

With all of his successes, he was thinking of actually going to Little Hangleton to make sure he could actually do it, but he was sure he would be able to, since he was getting better each time he had tried. Soon he would be carrying out his plans, and he was getting so anxious about it that he was often messing up in his classes, which his teachers found rather disturbing, even if they did not know the real reason behind it. He only had a little over two more months before he would be going to kill his father. And then he felt his life would be lifted of one very large burden. But, he would have no more time to practice for a while. He had to clear his head of all of it and study for his exams.

On June 7th, though, there were two huge articles on the front page of the _Daily Prophet_ that reminded Tom of another hatred a little closer at hand. One had the headline "Muggles Invade Normandy." The impending invasion of the Continent had been discussed for some time in the paper, but it was only speculations. It was the second article that somewhat bothered Tom. "Wizards Aid Muggles" was that one's title. Tom looked up at Dumbledore's vacant seat at the teacher's table. The Transfiguration professor had not been at school the past few days and it looked like he might not be there that day either. Tom was sure that the auburn haired professor had gone to help with aiding the Muggles. The only good thing about it was that Tom had not had his two Transfiguration lessons that week. He had been so happy about that that he could nearly shout out his joy. He glanced back at the paper and almost hissed angrily, tossing it to Nathan, not wanting to read the articles and be even more disgusted.

Within a few weeks, he was in the midst of all his exams. Despite how busy he was, he did not forget to do one thing, write to the headmaster and ask permission to stay at Hogwarts for the summer. Hopefully with no more attacks by his ancestor's basilisk and a Ministry that was sure the Chamber of Secrets was still just a story, he would be able to stay there. He sent his letter off at the beginning of the exam period and would wait for an answer that would hopefully come before he had to start packing.

When his exams were over each day, he sneaked back into the forest to practice the Killing Curse. He usually could only do it a few times as that it _did_ require so much magic and made him tire quite easily. Professor de Nuit had said during the lesson she had introduced this curse in that only very powerful wizards could actually kill with it, but he was sure such "hateful" curses also took a little more than magic, it took the true intent to make them work. He knew that he had to practice it a lot before he would be able to use it against his father. And, on the night after his last exam, though he did not know it, he _did_ succeed in killing a troll, but the effect had taken about seven minutes instead of instantaneous like it was supposed to be and he had already wandered off, missing it.

On the last night of that school year, after the Leaving Feast was over, Tom went back to his dormitory and packed. Though he had not heard from the headmaster about his being able to stay over the summer or not, he still had his hopes that he would be able too. But if he could not, at least he would have Lena to go home with. Her father had, after all, offered their home to him, which Korbin had reminded him of in the previous two letters he had sent. And he knew that Lena was looking forward to his coming home with her too, since he still had not told her anything about the plans that he had made last summer, or what he had been doing all school year. But…he wanted more than anything to stay at the Hogwarts.

In the morning, while Tom was lost in good dreams, Professor Sidus slipped into the sixth year boys' room and woke the prefect. Tom groggily dressed and followed the Astronomy professor out of Slytherin House. They went upstairs and Tom was finally awake enough to wonder what this was all about. When they stopped in front of the stone gargoyle on the second floor, though, he knew what it was about and hoped that the headmaster would say yes this year.

The head of Slytherin House took Tom upstairs but stayed with him this time, as the headmaster had asked him to. Tom was granted permission to stay, which nearly made him shout for joy. Professor Sidus was then given instructions on how to deal with Tom over the holiday, which the professor seemed to think would be quite interesting. His head of house told him with a smile that he would certainly be given extra work to do, especially by him. The sixth year was also given a few extra rules about conduct, since he would be in a nearly empty castle after all with many of the professors leaving for the summer to see their families. Tom hoped that that meant that Dumbledore would be leaving.

Once their meeting was over, Tom headed back downstairs to the entrance hall where many students were already leaving through the front doors. He saw Lena standing off to the side, looking towards the dungeons. She was obviously waiting for him. He smiled when she looked around her for a moment and saw him coming down the stairs. He walked up to her, still smiling, with his hands in his pockets.

"Where are your things?"

"I'm not going home with you."

"You're staying here then?"

"Yep, just came from the headmaster's office."

Lena frowned for a moment, sad that he was not going to come home with her. "So, what are you going to do this summer then?"

"Oh, just do some studying mainly." He still did not want to tell her about his plans to kill his father, knowing that she would disagree with him. Getting into a fight with her in the middle of the entrance hall, which was packed with students was not something he wanted to do. "I might do some other things, but I've not finalized anything yet."

"Well, have fun." She kissed his cheek, wondering exactly what his intents were for that summer. She succeeded at hiding her curiosity. "And be sure to write me and tell me what you're up to. I'll miss you."

"I will write. And I'll miss you too."

"Father was so looking forward to your coming."

"And so were you, I am sure." He saw her look down. "If he seems too disappointed tell him that I am sorry, but there is just somethings I cannot do away from school."

"I understand." She smiled at him then gave him a kiss on the lips. "I will see you in September."

Tom watched as she ran off then turned and headed to the library. He needed to talk to Madam Beech about a few things now that he was staying for the summer. He would especially want to help her out. He smiled as he went, thinking about what he was going to do that summer. This was going to be a very interesting holiday. There would be lots of studying…and one very important journey.

*********

To my reviewers -   
To all of you – WOW!!! I haven't gotten that many reviews in months!!! ^_^ Thanks so very much everyone!!!

demon horse 900 – yes, her mum died…it was a sad event…but, well, yes, now her father's going to be more "open" about his interest in the Dark Arts…you'll see what I mean later on…thanks for the lolly but I have plenty of sweets myself…glad it's not poisoned…*sticks in mouth*…

liv – can't stand Lena cause you don't want to share, eh? *giggles* You might be glad she has him later on…Tom doesn't stay this nice and sweet to her…remember, Voldemort's just as cruel to his followers as he is to his enemies…and she's not in the best position to be out of harm's way…

lord archimonde – Icelandic, eh? No wonder I couldn't find a dictionary to translate it…^_^;…I'm glad you think it's a marvelous story, though…and, yes, I do agree that Tom seems a bit to emotional for a future Dark Lord in that last chapter, but, you also have to realize, he rather thinks of Lena as one of his possessions…he doesn't want to have to think that his favorite little plaything doesn't want to play with him anymore…but, what little kindness he still has left in him dwindles as he travels the world…

Lady Snake – alright, now I can officially say that I read all your bio…though I realized that I had read most of it before, just skipped most of the quotes…13th loyal Death Eater, eh? Lena's the first so :-P…now what's this about a Japanese Death Eater? And you love master…he's pleased to know that…and why feel sorry for Lena? Good things come of this too, you know…

CheshireCat283 – YEAH!!! My new beta-reader…*huggle tightly*…and you think that master's lovely? *blinks* You _have_ read the way that Rowling described him in the fourth book, right? He's not all that pretty to look at…or do you mean his persona's "lovely"? That's not too lovely either…^_~…you'll find out about Korbin later on…and before anyone else does now that you're my beta…

Lanfear1 – thanks for the cookie…I was just getting done with demon horse's sucker…thanks for the compliment on my writing style and the story…^_^…and, yes, evil is more the right word for Tom than sweet…though he was rather sweet in this chapter…kissing up to Lena…as if he needs to…*eating cookie now*…


	51. Summer of Darkness

Chapter #51 – Summer of Darkness

With all the students gone, Tom felt like he owned the castle. He could go anywhere he liked, and he thought about sneaking into the other houses to see what they were like but he thought better of it. He was sure that they still had their passwords set up so he would not be able to get into them even if he had tried. But he had other things that he wanted to do that were far more important.

Dumbledore left the castle a few days after the holiday started. This was great for Tom for not having him there meant he would not be as worried about the auburn haired annoyance trying to watch his every move. But, when he saw the professor leaving, he knew that he was doing it very reluctantly. Apparently there was some family thing that he had to attend to. Tom would have a Dumbledore-free castle for a week and a half. He smiled and literally _skipped_ back to his common room, though he made sure that _no one_ saw him do so.

That night, Tom sneaked off into the forest again to practice the Killing Curse. He really wished he could Apparate on the grounds so he could practice doing that more but he had already tried it on the first day of the holiday, and it had not been a very pleasant experience at all. When he had tried it, instead of getting the sense of lightheadedness that usually accompanied it, he had gotten an extremely horrible headache that did not go away. He had to put a halt to all his plans for that day and went, for his first time ever, to the Hospital Wing. Though he had had no intention of telling the truth of what had caused the headache, Madam Valen, the school nurse, did not ask about it. But even she could not figure out how to get rid of it. All the things she tried just made it go away for a few hours at most (and in one case, made it worse). It took a week for it to finally go away completely, but he had still been able to continue practicing on the following day, though it took a lot of concentration to do it. The school nurse had warned him, though, that if it had been _that_ bad, he might get them again. He did not like the thought of that, especially with his seventh year coming up.

Even though he could not Apparate on the school's grounds, he could still use the Killing Curse…and he did use it. Since he had been practicing it for about two months now, he had gotten more "magical stamina" and did not get worn out as easily. That spell did take a lot of magic and he was not used to expending that much energy at once. But he knew that the curse was becoming more powerful and that made him very pleased, for that meant _he_ was getting more powerful. Soon he would be able to kill instantly with the curse…

Finally, a few days after Dumbledore had returned, Tom succeeded in killing a jarvey that had insulted him very badly. He had stunned many of those annoying ferret-like creatures before with the curse for their incessant talking and profanities. Just because they could speak did not mean that they had to be so rude about it. After so many previous failed attempts at killing them, he had finally been successful. He walked up to the dead creature, not sure of the result at first. After a few minutes of watching for the rise and fall of the chest and not seeing it, he touched the jarvey and found it was already cold. He celebrated in the darkening forest, wanting to go hunt down another creature, but he did not.

Knowing it was going to be dark very soon, he hurried back towards the castle. Though he had gone rather deep into the forest, he had put a spell on the Invisibility Cloak that would lead him back to where he had left it near the edge of the tree line. He reached it after a short hike and tossed on the Cloak. He did not need the professors to know that he had been out in the forest. He could get in trouble for that.

As he entered the castle and headed to the stairs that went to the dungeon, he swore he felt Dumbledore's eyes on him. He looked up and there, standing at the edge of the stairs, was the Transfiguration professor, looking down towards the dungeons, though not really _at_ Tom. Still, it unnerved him greatly and he hurried as quietly as he could away from where Dumbledore was. Even though he was under the Cloak, he felt that Dumbledore had seen him somehow, or known he was there. He felt a chill go up his spine when he thought about it. He had to find out what it was about Dumbledore, but how could he do it?

***

In the middle of July, when Tom got back from the library after helping Madam Beech with dusting all the books, he entered his common room to find it overrun with house elves. He stood shocked over the number of them. They were scrubbing down the fireplace and the stone floors. The carpeting was gone, as were many of the smaller pieces of furniture. When they all looked up at him, they all stopped and bowed deeply, apologizing to him for the condition of his common room. He just waved them off and went to his room, which was free of house elves for the moment.

Tom had never really seen house elves before, especially at the school, though he had heard about them for a while from his roommates. He thought they were rather interesting creatures, but he was wholly indifferent to them. They were servants…or, more appropriately, slaves, for they were not paid. But, they were less than a wizard, less even than a Muggle. He felt no sorrow for all the hard work they were made to do. They were useful, and he liked things that were useful.

Later that afternoon was when they got to his room. They gathered all the bed curtains and sheets and mattresses, except for those on his bed, and literally disappeared with them. Tom just sat there in shock that they had seemed to Apparate out of the room, which was supposedly not allowed anywhere on the grounds. He forgot about it though and went back to his book. He did not think that it was that important to worry about.

That evening, his head of house came into the now clean room, though Tom's things still needed to be cleaned and the house elves had said they would return to get his hangings and mattress in the morning to clean them. Tom did not know why Professor Sidus was there, but he was sure that it was something of importance. His head of house rarely made trips into his house unless it was important.

"We teachers have just gotten out of our meeting…"

Tom looked at him rather puzzled. A meeting? About what?

Professor Sidus held out a badge that read "Head Boy" across it. "Congratulations."

The prefect's eyes could not have gotten wider, nor could his jaw have drop further. He just stared at the badge for a while, completely in disbelief. "Why…"

"The professors all think that you are very responsible and a great example. You're a model student, Riddle, and I personally think that all the students here should be like you."

Though most of it was based on his "masked" self, Tom was not going to dash his head of house's thoughts of his near perfection. The Astronomy professor walked to Tom and pinned the badge to his school robes, which Tom was still wearing, somewhat out of habit but mainly because he hardly had any other clothes. The two of them smiled at each other for a while.

"Who's the Head Girl?"

"A Hufflepuff named Mavie Oakley."

"A Hufflepuff," he asked, clearly upset and somewhat appalled that it was not Lena…and his professor knew this.

"Lena _was_ mentioned when they were naming prefects for the position. Professor de Nuit said _many_ good things in her favor, but Miss Oakley has been a very big help to the professors and the rest of the staff ever since she arrived at school. She's a very good leader among her fellow Hufflepuffs and, well, she got the position because of it all. She's just as good of a student as you. I'm sure you know that, she's in some of your classes. It was nothing against Miss Westbrook, though, so please…"

"I know, I was just hoping that if I got…"

"I understand, Tom. Most Head Boys and Girls often hope their beloved will be by them in the position, but it is not always the case." He handed the young man a letter. "And here is your book list for next school year. Thought it would be better to go ahead and give it to you instead of having an owl bring it to you since you _are_ still here."

Tom opened the letter and looked over the list of books and supplies he would need for the next year. He needed _a lot_ more things for his Potions class. He sighed. This would not be cheap. "Is there any way I could get to Diagon Alley?"

"I'm going there tomorrow for a few things I need. You are welcome to come with me. You could help me carry some of my things. I'll need the help."

A huge smile crept across his face, thinking of how interesting it would be to go to Diagon Alley with his head of house. "I'd love to come with you!"

"Then I'll get you in the morning after breakfast and we can Floo from the Three Broomsticks."

***

Tom returned from his trip to Diagon Alley after a _very_ interesting day. Going there with his head of house had certainly been an experience. Of course, the fact that Sidus had just as casually gone down Knockturn Alley as Lena had done pointed out to Tom that his head of house was at least somewhat of a Dark wizard. The professor only chuckled when Tom asked him about it, though he did not deny it. Tom had pretty much guessed that he had to be a Dark wizard after those secret meetings he had gone off to a few times with Lena and Darcy. They spent nearly three hours looking at the things in the shops on Knockturn Alley and Tom bought a very nice book from Borgin and Burkes called _Artifacts and Devices of Dark Magic_, along with a few devices that were actually mentioned in the book from another shop. When they returned to the school, Tom helped the professor set up the new telescope he had bought then spent the evening looking at the stars and learning more about astronomy. Tom suddenly wished he had taken another astronomy class, for he found it absolutely fascinating.

The days passed by quickly after that and soon it was August. It was drawing nearer to the time when he had planned to go to Little Hangleton. He went back into the Forbidden Forest and practiced the Killing Curse more to make sure that he had the hang of it and it would kill each time it struck. After that he went to Hogsmeade, supposedly for an herb that he had forgotten to get when he went to Diagon, but he really wanted to Apparate to Little Hangleton again, for he had successfully done it earlier that summer, going to the graveyard he had spent so much of his time in the previous summer.

He was ready. Now all he needed to do was wait for his birthday, which was now only a few days away. And this was going to be one birthday present that no one was ever going to be able to top.

***

To my reviewers – 

lord archimonde – more Icelandic, eh? You know, I tried to translate it myself, but, well, didn't work…^_^; And of course he's practicing the Killing Curse! He has to make sure he can do it before he goes to kill his dad…it'd be bad if he went to kill his father and it didn't work…and it'd be embarrassing too…

Liv – loved the part where he wandered off before the troll died? ^_^ Yes, that was rather amusing…and you need to get over your jealousy…:-P

CheshireCat283 – you're silly…you're cute…and what was this about *one* chapter before Sunday? I got three…^_~

demon horse 900 – how is Tom selfish? And, yes, WWII is drawing to a close…but it won't end until right before they graduate…and Tom's supposed to be scary…how else is he to become Voldemort? Lay off the sugar and put away the _Finding Nemo_ DVD and back away from both slowly…

Lady Snake – wow…you have a lot of 13's in your life…and, yes, good things will come of her death…just wait and see…and if you crucio me then you won't get chapters for a long, long time…


	52. Birthday Presents

Chapter #52 – Birthday Presents

The morning of August sixteenth, Tom woke and suddenly felt like it was Christmas instead of summer. At the foot of his bed was a pile, the biggest pile yet, of presents. There were just over a dozen presents there. There were also two cakes. One was from Lena and the other was from the professors at the school. He set the cakes aside carefully then tore into his presents. He got an assortment of things. Crinis sent him a broom servicing kit, though he did not know why. He was sure that Crinis knew that that broom sitting on top of his trunk rarely got used. Tom was not much on flying, but he did get to do it every once in a while. He got a bag of candy from Nathan like he usually did, with all his favorites in it, especially Bertie's Botts. But the thing that he certainly loved the most was from the person he knew would send him a book, and they were good books at that. Lena and her father had gotten him a three-book set called _The Majesty of the Dark Arts_. He would have to start reading that soon.

After that, he started eating the cake that he had gotten from the professors. It was very good and he did not care that cake would be his breakfast. As he ate, though, a present that he had missed somehow caught his attention. It was only wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a small cord. He set the cake aside and picked it up. There was no note attached so he guessed he would have to open it to see who it was from.

Inside was what looked like a book, but when Tom opened it he found that everything was very neatly handwritten. Though he could swear that he had seen that handwriting before, he could not quite place it. He flipped through the pages and realized that this was a grimoire, a journal that wizards kept their research in and particular spells they liked. Though Tom had not yet started one, he did not yet think that he needed to.

When he looked at the inside cover, he suddenly knew whom it was from. In the untidy scrawl that he was used to was written "study hard and study well." It was from Grindelwald. He stared at the journal for a while, not really believing that he had been sent this by the Dark wizard. Could this mean that he was interested in Tom being his student? That would be a wonderful thing. He smiled and set it aside, sure that he _would_ study it hard and well.

***

That afternoon, Tom got permission to go to Hogsmeade as a birthday treat, but was told to be back by sunset. He was sure that he would be finished with everything he was going to be doing by then, though. But it was to be one very exciting day for him…and he had a feeling that it was all going to go perfectly. So, dressed in one of his best sets of Muggle-looking clothes, he headed to town alone.

He ate a late lunch at the Three Broomsticks and had a wizard version of "Happy Birthday" sung to him by the proprietor and the few customers that were there. Though he had had plenty of cake earlier that day, he gladly accepted a small, free one from the pub's owner for dessert. After that, he wandered around Hogsmeade to see if there was anything that he wanted to buy, but he did not feel like getting anything else. He had all his supplies for his classes and his trip to Diagon and Knockturn had been enough shopping for him. But he was really only wasting his time until it got a little darker, so he could sneak to his father's house to give himself the birthday present he so desperately wanted.

As the sun was dipping towards the horizon, Tom knew that it was time to go. Though it was about dinnertime, he was not hungry yet. He had too much excitement running through his body to feel hungry, and having the late lunch had been part of his plan. He walked to the edge of town, acting like he was heading back to the castle, but took a slight detour. He went to the spot he had found that was very good to Apparate from because if was slightly off and no one could really see you unless they were _really_ looking for you.

This was it. He closed his eyes and thought of where he wanted to go. He said the incantation in his mind, which he had taught himself to do, and which most wizards did. The lightheadedness washed over him and he suddenly found himself in a graveyard, right by the yew that he had often stood under while he was making his plans the year before. He looked up at the house on the hill and smiled evilly then started up the hill towards the stately home.

Reaching the top of the hill, he looked around. He did not see any of the hired help that he knew worked there. That was good. He crept up to the house and looked into all the windows on the ground floor. Through one set of them he looked into the dining room where his father and grandparents were just finishing dinner. He watched them for a moment then they rose and left the room. He walked around the house again, trying to see if they were still downstairs, hoping they had not retired for the night this early. Then he saw them sitting in the drawing room having an after-dinner brandy. He smirked. As he watched his father light a cigarette, though, he felt extremely disgusted. Such a bad habit…

Apparating into the room, the occupants looked at the teenager in shock. He saw his father stand, staring at him in disbelief. His eyes turned nearly blood red in his anger and hatred and in the glorious thought this man would soon be dead. "Hello, _Father_."

The elder Tom did not need the boy to have said that. He could tell the instant he had appeared that he was Dana's son. There was so much resemblance…and one of those evil witches as well. He clinched his fists, nearly cracking the glass he had in his left hand. "I have no son."

"I thought that you would say that." Tom drew his wand, which made the terrified look even more pronounced on all of their faces. A twisted smile came to his face. "And you would be right, too. _Avada Kedavra_!"

With a blast of green light, his father fell to the floor a lifeless heap. As soon as he fell, Tom heard his grandmother stifle a scream. He turned his wand to her and said the Killing Curse again. She slumped onto the sofa she was reclining on, her brandy snifter falling to the floor and breaking. His grandfather then started at the boy, though the elderly man did not know what he was going to do if he actually reached the teenager. He was not as strong as he had been in his youth. But a third curse hit him and he fell to the floor beside his son.

Looking at the three corpses, he smiled – an expression that held both his ecstasy at his first kills and his growing cruelty and darkness. It had been so easy. No screaming…no twitching…just death. And he liked such results. No one had heard, he was sure. He put his wand back into the coat he was wearing as he laughed slightly – cold and dark. He had waited years for this night and now it was done. All his ties to the Muggle world were severed. But he had not finished with the Muggles yet. And he would not be finished with the Muggles for a very _long_ time either.

Tom then Apparated back to the spot he had come from in Hogsmeade. The sun was nearly to the horizon. The clouds seemed tinted with blood the way the sun's light was reflecting from them. The coming night seemed so welcome at that moment, for he was tired, though he had not done all that much that day. He walked past the gate with the two winged boars flanking it. He went up the carriage path, hands in his pockets, thinking about what he had just done. He smiled again. And it was all thanks to Professor de Nuit that he was able to kill his father and grandparents. She was such a _wonderful_ professor…

*********

To my reviewers – 

demon horse 900 – yes, he skipped…yes, Tom's going to be a murderer…you doubted he would ever become one? He's basically already killed one person (Myrtle) though it was indirectly…and the Dark Lord should not be used as an exterminator…and I'm sure he'd prefer to kill you than the bugs anyway…:-P

CheshireCat283 – ^_^ and thanks for beta'ing for me…though I think I say that way too much…

Liv – well, I couldn't have Lena be Head Girl…that'd be a bit too Mary Sue'ish, you know…I try to keep Lena as little Mary Sue-like as possible, though I don't know how I'm doing…but Tom's not going to give the Hufflepuff a hard time, he'll be too busy to do that…he's got NEWTs coming up and getting ready for post-graduation and a few other things to worry about so there won't be too much time to annoy her…

Lady Snake – don't worry, you'll get more chapters…just be patient…and don't tell me you can't be patient…you have been so far…

lord archimonde – didn't master the Killing Curse till he was 22?! What the…*shakes head*…he's not even going to be in England in my fic when he's 22…and I don't think Rowling thought he was either, as that she did say he had "disappeared after leaving Hogwarts" in the second book…it said in the fourth book that the kid sneaking around the Riddle House was a teenager (which means Tom could have been slightly younger or older than 17, but still, not 22)…


	53. The Last Year

Chapter #53 – The Last Year

The morning after his short trip to Little Hangleton, Tom felt so wonderful that he _had_ to tell someone about what he had done, but his hands were too shaky to be able to write a letter. Telling any of the professors would have just been utterly stupid. And, since he knew that he would not be able to hold it in until the end of the month when his friends came back to school, he ran down to the Chamber and told Lilith. She thought that it was all very fascinating and listened intently as he told her, feeling like a proud mother.

Of course, the next afternoon when he saw Dumbledore in the library, the professor gave him a strange look. The auburn haired teacher had a newspaper with him, which he set down shortly after seeing Tom as he looked for a book. The only thing was that when he left he seemed to purposefully leave the paper. After he had gone, Tom went to look at it. It was a copy of _The Times_, a paper he had not seen since he was in Muggle London the previous summer. A small article on the page it was opened to talked about three mysterious deaths in that had occurred two nights before in Northumberland. He looked at the article with surprise then looked towards the doors that led from the library. Did Dumbledore suspect? Or did he _know_? Tom turned away from the paper then went back to his search for the books he needed for his Charms essay, trying to forget about it.

Soon the holiday was over and Tom could not wait for his friends to get back. The afternoon of September first, he waited outside the castle's entrance for everyone to get there. Darcy was the first to arrive. Though Tom wanted to tell him what he had done as soon as he got there, he wanted to wait for all his roommates and Lena before saying anything, so he did not have to repeat it too many times. Soon all of them but Lena were there. The boys talked about classes and such while they waited for her.

The young woman came running when she saw all of them standing by the castle's entrance. She tossed her arms around Tom, happy to see him again. With all the younger students wandering around, though, they would save her kisses for later. She was the first one to say anything about his Head Boy badge, for he had not told any of them about it. They all congratulated him but he told them, in all honesty, that he did not think it was all that great because of the responsibilities.

The six of them walked off from the entrance for a bit more privacy and Tom told all of them the events that had taken place on his birthday. The reaction was pretty much what he expected from everyone. But Lena's reaction was a bit more severe than he had thought it would be. She looked about ready to storm off or start yelling but she did not do either. He was sure, though, that she would let it pass, as she always did with such things. But what she said after she thought about it a moment, shocked them all.

"But why didn't you come home with me?"

"Well, I can't use magic away…"

"If you were going to wait until your _birthday_ to do all of this, you could have passed the Apparition test and not done that illegally at least! You _are_ seventeen now, after all." She shook her head. "Honestly…"

Tom only stared at her as that reality sunk in, but, still, he had wanted to practice before his birthday, to make sure everything was perfect. And even though this new bit of information annoyed him somewhat, he did still have good reasons for having stayed over the summer at school. Even if it would have been nice to have stayed with Lena all summer.

After that, they all went to the Great Hall and got seats. There were not many students there yet, but they were sure there would be more soon as that the Feast was drawing nearer. Within half an hour the Hall was nearly full. Two of the professors that usually helped with the new first years came in and they knew it was almost time for the evening to begin. A few minutes later the crowd of nervous first years shuffled in, looking around at their new surrounding. Tom could not believe that he had ever been like that, but he knew that he had to have been worse.

The Sorting Hat sung its new song and Nathan got rather sentimental about it, since it was the last time he would ever get to hear it, but the other boys were glad to be getting out of the school. Even though Tom had thought of Hogwarts as a home over the past six years, he too was glad to finally be graduating, but it was mainly because of the fact that he wanted to be able to use magic outside of school.

Dinner was served. The headmaster gave out his notices. And then all the upperclassmen filed out one by one to go to their common rooms when they had been given the new password. Tom, though, had to stay afterwards to meet the new Head Girl, Mavie Oakley. She was a rather pretty young woman with short brown hair, but she was not as pretty as Lena. She was in his Charms class and was a great student. He knew that she was a halfblood and that would be tolerable for him since they would be spending a good bit of time together. But Tom would be too busy that year to have probably have even cared if she had been a mudblood.

The weekend started the very next day and all the students could be found wandering around the castle and grounds. As usual, Tom and his friends took their "traditional" walk around the lake. They talked about their summers more and what they were thinking about doing once they graduated. When they asked Tom what he planned to do, he told them he was not entirely sure yet because it all depended on how certain _acquaintances_ worked out.

Classes started back Monday and Tom suddenly felt the pressure. Final project topics, which they would be starting, in some cases, when their Christmas holiday was over, were due right after Halloween. Tom pretty much knew what he wanted to do for all his classes, but getting them written down in words would be hard. And then the fact that the potion he wanted to make for his final project could be considered an "experimental" one bothered him. Lena simply suggested that he send the potion's ingredients to her father and have him present it to his committee, since he _was_ on the Committee for Experimental Potions. Tom did so and a little more than a week later got approval from them that he could do it.

The correspondence kept coming from Korbin and Grindelwald. Though the letters from Korbin had become fewer, the number from Grindelwald had remained constant. He always asked Tom certain questions that he knew were because the Dark wizard had sent him the grimoire. And Tom always seemed to answer the questions right, because Grindelwald was quite impressed with him. One day, though, Tom accidentally signed "Tom Riddle" at the bottom of a letter, which got an response of "so that's your real name" back from Grindelwald. Tom felt rather stupid for having done it, hating that he told a Dark Wizard that Muggle name.

And when it came to thinking about Grindelwald, Tom could not also help but think of the situation on the Continent. The "Allies" as they called themselves, were retaking the areas invaded by Germany and pushing towards Berlin to take the city and overthrow the dictatorial government. Just as the Muggles were helping the ravaged civilian Muggles, the wizards were doing the same for their own and getting rebuilding started a lot sooner than the Muggles were, but that seemed to be something that wizards did anyway. Many people were sure that it was just a matter of months before the war was over.

Of course, his autumn would have been going a lot better if his headaches had not come back. The headaches had not been really bothering him since midsummer but now they seemed worse than before. Returning once again to Madam Valen, she gave him the potion she had been giving him for the pain and gave him directions so he could make it himself so he would not have to keep coming to her. Both of them thought it was the stress of his classes on top of having to be in charge of the students that was making them come back. Tom would have given anything at times to have taken back that attempt to Apparate on school grounds, which he knew was what had started them.

With final project topics in and their assignments for the weekend done, Lena planned to sneak down to Tom's room with him to talk and spend the night with him. But, as they crept down there, Lena under the Cloak, Tom froze, seeing Dumbledore checking the dungeons on one of his rounds of the castle. They nodded to each other, but he seemed to be looking just behind him at the spot that Tom knew Lena was hiding under the Cloak. After a moment, Dumbledore moved on and Tom wondered if Dumbledore knew that Lena was there.

Once they were in the room, Lena started talking about it worriedly, saying that Dumbledore made eye contact with her and she was completely scared over it. How he had done it, though, none of the boys there could figure out. Tom felt, though, that it was the same as had happened over the summer. Since they could not come up with a plausible solution to it, they dropped it and started talking about other things and somehow they got to the subject of the approaching Christmas holiday.

Lena suddenly said that Tom was invited to come home with her for Christmas since he had not done so over the summer. She also said that her father was going to be having a few parties, two of which were going to be all Dark wizards. Darcy said he was going to be going to two of them with his parents most likely and Rex said he was going with his father to one, though it was one that was for the wealthy purebloods, whether Dark wizards or not. It all sounded very interesting to Tom and he agreed to go, which made Lena very happy.

*********

To my reviewers – 

Liv - ^_^ I'm very glad you loved it…and, well, he needed to kill some time *giggles at pun* before doing the "dastardly deed", so what better way that to look around Hogsmeade? And I love that word choice of yours…"dastardly deed"…

lord archimonde – for one, it would have taken too long to drive them to the point of insanity and, for another, the Cruciatus Curse would have drawn attention…they would have screamed, you know…and I'm *sure* he would want to get it over with as quickly as possible…I know *I* would want to just kill them and get back to school…

Lady Snake - *giggles* you're silly…^_^


	54. Auras

A/N : at the end of this chapter there is some slightly out-dated information…it was made irrelevant with the fifth book…as that it is still a good explanation for circumstances, though, I did not change this chapter…and Tom can't be right about *everything*, can he? You'll see what I mean…enjoy! Oh…and if I got the German accent wrong…someone *do* please tell me…

Chapter #54 – Auras

The last few weeks before Christmas holiday seemed to pass by faster than they had any other year. When the sheet was passed around for them to sign saying if they were staying at the school or going home, Tom gladly put down that he was leaving. This would be his first Christmas away from Hogwarts in all the years that he had been there. He packed up after his last class before the start of the holiday and left with Lena for Hogsmeade that evening before dinner. They went to the same cottage they had used the past two times they had Floo'ed, and there were house elves waiting to take their things for them. Once the house elves were gone, they took their Floo Powder and stepped into the fireplace, a moment later arriving in the library where Korbin was sitting, waiting for them, a book in his hands.

"Hello, hello." He smiled at them both. "Good to see you again, Tom."

Tom only nodded as Lena went about brushing soot off his robes with a special brush they had for the purpose.

"I'm sure the two of you are hungry, so let's go eat, shall we?"

The three of them went to the formal dining room, which Tom had not been in the last time he had been there since he had taken his meals in Lena's room with her. It was just as elegant as the rest of the manor house. Large paintings of still life hung on the walls, as well as one landscape painting that hung over the door. Three large arch windows showed one of the side gardens. The floor was made of white marble. A beautiful chandelier hung over the table with nearly a hundred burning candles on it. The table was topped with a lovely slab of gray marble that was polished almost to a mirror finish.

The four house elves that Tom had seen the last time he was there served them then disappeared once dinner had been placed on the table. They chatted about school and Korbin told Tom about the parties he was going to be hosting, three in total, over the holiday, of which the one on Christmas Eve should be the largest. It was the one where many different wealthy pureblood families would be in attendance. Tom was looking forward to that party as much as he was the other two, but he doubted it would be quite as interesting as the ones where there would only be Dark witches and wizards.

After dinner, they all headed to bed. Again, Korbin seemed not to have a problem with Tom and Lena sleeping in the same room. Of course, Lena had explained to Tom about what her father thought about their relationship and had no problem letting them sleep together while they were there. Lena also told him that her father seemed to think they were getting married, but she laughed about it when she told Tom, for she knew that Tom was _not_ the marrying sort, even if he _might_ keep her around after they graduated. But she still was not quite sure if he _was_ going to let her stay with him.

The first party that Korbin hosted, only a few nights after the two students got there, was mainly just for his closest friends that were Dark wizards. There were about a dozen people there and Tom found it was quite easy to go around to talk to all of them. One of the guests, though, bothered Tom, but he never approached him to find out what his name was. There was something about him that made him seem to not fit in with the other guests there. And he had the same feeling with Korbin a few times, but it was less noticeable. He wanted to know what it was about them, but he did not think he would ever know. It might have just been some simple little thing, but he was not sure. It seemed more than that. Almost as though it were similar to the thing with Professor Dumbledore.

The second party, the one on Christmas Eve, was a huge event. Several of the Westbrooks' closest friends sent their own house elves to help prepare for the event that night. Decorations went up all over the house, especially in the gardens. The scent of food wafted from the kitchens all day and Tom wanted to go down there and sample all the foods, but Lena kept him from going, telling him that he had no reason to bother the elves. He wanted to know what they were cooking that smelled so good and he could hardly wait for dinner that night. He contented himself with playing wizard chess with Lena and reading some of the books he had gotten out of their rather extensive library.

When dinner finally came, Tom felt like he had been starved all day, though he had been fed just as well that day as any other day that he had been there, and the food was just as good as usual. Lena had made him buy formal black and green velvet robes for the occasion. At first he thought that it was just because she had wanted to go shopping with him (and to buy herself a lovely new set of rose and robin's egg blue robes with all the accessories). He quickly found out, though, when the first family arrived, that it was, indeed, a _very_ formal occasion and Lena was not nearly as dressed up as Mrs. Lestrange, Nathan's mother, who arrived in furs and hundreds of gems.

That night was rather stuffy in Tom's opinion, but Lena said that this was an annual event that these families had, trading off who was hosting it so one family would not be burdened with it year after year, and this year had happened to be the Westbrooks' turn. Tom enjoyed seeing so many of his friends there, for there were more than a dozen in attendance, including ones that had graduated as well. He was especially happy to see Aureus Malfoy, who had gotten married to a lovely woman named Leticia. He and many of his friends all left the formality that seemed to engulf the interior of the mansion and went to the gardens to talk for most of the evening.

The next morning, after having gotten to bed very late, for he stayed up with Lena to say farewells to all the guests, he woke, wondering if there would be a pile of presents at the foot of the bed, but there was not. For a moment he was rather disappointed, wondering if all his presents had gone to school somehow, then he saw that Lena was already up and dressed, combing her hair at her vanity. He got out of bed and went to her, kissing her neck and telling her good morning, which she echoed with a smile. He then got dressed as well then they went downstairs to find a huge decorated tree in the library, which had not been there the night before, and all their presents were around it. Korbin was already there, reading the _Daily Prophet_.

The teenagers ripped into their presents. Lena had a lot more than Tom did, but he was sure that was because of her father and other wealthy friends and relatives, but he did not mind. He had a lot of presents too, and once he finished opening them all, he counted them. There had been seventeen in all. The most he had ever gotten. He did not think that he had that many friends. But, of course, he had known nearly thirty people at the party the night before, and that was not all of the people he _did_ know. He smiled. Seven years ago he would never have imagined that there could ever be a day like this one. He had come a long way since he had thrown off those Muggles. And he was _never_ going to go back to anything like that horrid life.

Tom actually felt a little sad that he had not gotten another present from Grindelwald, but one had been plenty. He was sure that the Dark Lord did not even have time to think about Christmas with what he had been reading in the _Daily Prophet_ every morning. Not only were the Muggle armies closing in on the capital of Germany, but there was an international team of Aurors looking for Grindelwald, and there were rumors they were getting close. Whether they were just saying it to make the public feel better was not sure to Tom, but he doubted that they would catch him.

After Christmas, the two of them realized that they needed to finish all their assignments they had been given over the holiday. They had gotten a lot done already, but they were soon going to run out of time. The holiday was going by much faster than they had realized and they needed to stop postponing it all.

New Year's Eve soon got there and that was when the last party was going to be. Korbin told Tom that it was going to be a rather large gathering of Dark wizards and witches, some of whom even _he_ did not know, for they were friends of friends. When the evening came, he found himself immersed in a gathering that was more than twice as large as the first one that Korbin had had, and nearly as large as the one on Christmas Eve. He saw several faces from the first party that he remembered. And he had some very interesting conversations, and _overheard_ even more. About an hour and a half into the party, Darcy and his father showed up and the Hogwarts students started talking amongst themselves.

About a quarter to eleven, the familiar crack that accompanies Apparation echoed through the main room the guests were talking in. There were a few whispers then Korbin's voice was heard above all the other voices there. "Ah! Grindelwald!"

Tom nearly spun around when he heard the name. He could see Korbin walking across the room at a good speed.

"I thought that you would not be able to make it, those Aurors…"

The dark haired man he stopped beside scoffed at the mention of them. He apparently was not the least bit worried. Tom watched him for a moment. He had a rather thick black beard that touched his chest. He was dressed in what appeared to be furs and wool robes. He noticed that the Dark wizard seemed a bit plumper than he had imagined, but he was not _too_ round. It may have just been because of the furs. But, all in all, Tom thought that he did look like the imposing wizard that had so many people scared. Tom liked him.

"But what of Adolf's problems with the Allies? I know that…"

"He vill not last much longer vid or vidout my help." He spoke with a thick German accent and talked with his hands. "He dinks dat as long as he has me he cannot be defeated. De man is such a fool."

"Yes, but it is still such a sad ending to it all."

"I vould haff killed him anyvay, you know dat."

Lena was trying to keep Tom from leaving her side, getting strange looks from Darcy in the process, but Tom broke away and headed for the Dark Lord. He was drawn by him, having wanted to meet him for so long. If he could just speak with him…

"Dere vill alvays be oder chances for me to finish my plans. Other Muggles I can manipulate und use." He noticed Tom easing up to them and the Dark Wizard looked at him curiously. "Und who is dis?"

"Oh, this is my daughter's lover, Tom Riddle."

"Riddle," he repeated, looking Tom over, his voice and eyes seemingly somewhere between shock, pleasure, and scrutiny.

So he _did_ remember his real name. Tom smiled, nodding.

"You are de one I haff been corresponding vid for about a year now?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Und you are still a student at dis Hogvorts?"

"Yes, Sir. I graduate this year."

Grindelwald looked at him for a moment, seeming to look around Tom instead of at him. "You haff a very interesting aura. I _do_ dink dat you vould make a good Dark vizard."

"You…you do?"

"Yes. Und I dink dat you are truly vorthy of my taking you as a pupil, as I suspected."

"Really?"

The dark wizard nodded. "Vhen you graduate, I vould like you to contact me. Send me un owl of Korbin's und I'll tell you exactly vare."

"Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir."

"In de meantime, I vill still write you, as usual."

Tom nodded, his smile seeming to light up the room more than the candles ever could.

"If you would excuse us, Tom," Korbin smiled, "I have some other guest that have been wanting to see him."

The Head Boy seemed to be broken out of some trance. "Of course, Mr. Westbrook."

As the two of them walked off, Tom thought about what he had said, then something struck him. He thought about it for a moment then wandered back towards Lena and Darcy. He glanced back at the Dark Lord a few times as he went, seeing he was now talking to some other guests. When he reached Lena, she did not seem very happy with him.

"You have better be glad…"

But Tom broke her off. "Can Grindelwald see auras?"

"Yes," she said slowly, not sure where he was going with his question.

"What color would mine be?"

"Dark," she said flatly, though she was grinning some.

For a moment he was quiet, thinking over what he thought he had discovered. "Do you think that Dumbledore might be able to see auras?"

Lena suddenly gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, realizing what Tom thought he had already. "That's how he knew what you were up to!"

"That's why he switched positions," Darcy said, "to keep an eye on you. You said you had started your search our first year so your aura…"

"That's also how he saw Lena under the Invisibility Cloak last month. And I am _guessing_ he also saw me over the summer. He saw our auras even though we were under the Cloak and he knew who we were just by seeing them, even if he could _not_ see us."

The young woman touched his arm, looking at him almost worriedly. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Nothing. There's not anything I could do, is there?" He looked rather peeved about it, a hint of red in his eyes. "But he knows my little secrets it seems, but I know his now too. So I'd say we are even, wouldn't you?"

*********

To my reviewers – 

RivanKnight – you reviewed about the same time I updated last time, so I'm responding here…^_^…yes, Tom's getting quite evil, has to, you know…can't be kind and become Voldemort, now can he? No, there was nothing of importance about the deaths to the wizards…though Dumbledore surely did notice and understand what was going on…

lord archimonde – yes, I was thinking of silencing charms when I responded last time, though it still would have taken too long to make them insane…he had a limited time to do it in…and I don't think "torture them then kill them" was on his mind, you know…just "kill, kill, kill!"…and you never told me what you said in your review for chapter 50…still curious…

Liv – the headache thing is of some importance…it's just that I always imagine Voldemort as one that has migraines, you know…need to give him a good excuse to have them…they come and go in the second part and for a while he'll have a good cure, but with all good things, they usually turn sour…^_~…and about taking a break…I will take a *short* break…but no more than two weeks…need to give some time to let my beta reader get back to me and rework the chapters again and all to make sure I like the way they are…but it won't be months before I get the second part up…and you didn't sound mean at all…

Lady Snake – yes, you are silly…though insane, too…and I didn't go into the Christmas parties much, but I still hope you liked them…


	55. War’s End

Chapter #55 – War's End

The Christmas holiday ended and the two students staying at the Westbrook Manor returned to school. Tom was not really looking forward to going back, though, because three of his classes were starting their final projects. The other two, though, would start later, one in mid-March and the other the first part of April. Lena, though, was less stressed than Tom, for she had found a way to combine three of her classes' final projects into one and had gotten all those professors' permission to do so, though she was having to write twelve scrolls full of information because of that. Even so, it was still shorter than three separate essays would have been.

With the projects and the responsibilities of being Head Boy bearing down on him, his headaches again returned. One day it got so bad that even the potions did not work and he was thinking of going to the Hospital Wing, but it slowly ebbed and he could at least _somewhat_ concentrate on his work. He was now looking forward to graduating more to get rid of the stress than to be able to use magic away from Hogwarts. He wanted the headaches gone.

The Easter holiday rolled around and Tom started his potion, which would take two full months to brew. Lena had started hers the month before since she had needed the moon to pass through a certain constellation during her brewing. His potion, though, was his own creation, which had awed Professor Corris when he had presented it, with the approval of the Committee of Experimental Potions slip attached. In all of his research Tom had not run across one like it and, according to the Potions professor, he had never seen anything like it either. Tom had named it the "Epistolos Incend," a means to send letters through fires. All you had to do was dip the letter into the potion and toss it into a magical fire and it could travel through the Floo network to its destination. The potion, he hoped, would not ruin the ink, but most of the potion masters he had conferred with said that it should not.

When the short Easter holiday was over, Tom felt as though his stress had diminished for some reason. He had everything started now and it had been getting everything underway that had bothered him the most. But, when that morning's paper arrived, he suddenly felt the stress return, and a bit of anger. The major headline read: "Hogwarts Professor Defeats Dark Wizard!" His heart had sunk, for he knew what it was about.

__

The entire wizarding world is in celebration now over the defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald. Over the Easter Holiday, Hogwarts Transfiguration professor, Albus Dumbledore, found where the Dark Lord was hiding then dueled and succeeded in defeating him. The Dark wizard, after being drained of all his magic permanently, was taken to the Ministry of Magic in Denmark where he was to be dealt with. Many are already declaring the war over with because of this, though the Muggles still have not finished in Germany and the Pacific yet.

Professor Dumbledore refused to comment other than saying that he "did not do anything any other decent wizard would have done." Many wizards are wondering how he succeeded at finding him when so many other wizards, including the dozens of Aurors that had been looking for him for months, have failed at the attempts. But the fact still remains that he did defeat the Dark wizard.

Currently there are several organizations that are planning to award this brave professor with many titles and honors. One anonymous wizard said, though, that Dumbledore is too humble to accept any of them. The plans are still underway, though, in the hopes that he will accept them, especially the rumored honor of Order of Merlin, First Class.

"Well, what do you think?"

"What is there for me to say," Tom said calmly though quietly, folding up the paper and going back to his breakfast, successfully hiding his anger, but feeling a headache coming on.

"Wha…?" Crinis leaned closer to him, a bit stunned. "Didn't you say that he was going to teach you more about the Dark Arts? That you were going to be his…?"

"It is a disappointment, yes, but I am neither saddened nor surprised by these events." He was lying somewhat, but he kept his face straight. "If he was _that_ easily defeated by Dumbledore, he must not have been that great anyway."

His best friend drew back slightly then nodded, though was clearly still surprised at Tom's reaction. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"All I have to do is find a new teacher."

Tom and Lena had a discussion on it later that day, trying to resolve every possible way that Dumbledore could have found the Dark wizard. They knew that he had been gone for one day, but it had just been _one_. Someone had to have told him where to find him. But why had they not told the Aurors that had been looking for him, then? Why tell Dumbledore specifically? Tom had a feeling it was someone that, like Dumbledore, knew about him and would want Dumbledore to do it, but Tom did not know anyone else that might know what the annoying Transfiguration professor did about him.

About a week later, there was another article about the American president's sudden death, which had shocked many wizards. While the Muggle doctors had said it was a stroke or something of the sort, there was a rumor among the American wizards that it had actually been a Dark wizard that had killed him, though for what reason it was not clear.

Then, not far into May, there was a triumphant article about Hitler being found dead. It said that he had committed suicide with his new bride. The war in Europe had been declared over soon after that with Germany's surrender. All the Muggles had to do was resolve the continuing battles in the Pacific with Japan. There was a large article soon after that that said that all wizards had been informed by the American Wizards Association to get out of that nation because of a terrible thing that the American Muggles had created. What this was, though, no one would have ever rightfully guessed.

But the seventh years had other things on their minds than the war the Muggles were carrying on with. Not only did they have to finish all their final projects (though some, like Lena, were already done) but they also had to get ready for their NEWTs. These were going to be far tougher than their OWLs and how well they did on them told possible employers how knowledged they were in their chosen fields of study. The higher the score you made, the more chance you could get into the Ministry, which many of the students were hoping for.

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To my reviewers – 

lord archimonde – thanks for translating for me…^_^…and, yes, currently, Lena is Tom's only servant, though, as you know, he gets plenty more…and dark red is still dark, right? But, yes, for him I think it'd be a mingle of dark red, black, and dark green…it'd make sense…to me, at least…

Liv – scary at the end? Really? How so? And glad you still love it…

Lady Snake – well…I think that after book five the idea of Dumbledore seeing auras would be obsolete…though he could have that ability along with legilimency…it'd explain how he saw Harry and Ron in the second book/movie under the cloak (though he might just be that good at legilimency)…but, yes, you may use that idea…it's not something that no one else couldn't think of themselves, you know…

RivanKnight – eh, a great leap forward deserves a great one back too, right…^_~ Poor Tom didn't get to keep his teacher long, now did he…but, as I've said, the auras part is, in my opinion, a bit of an obsolete idea…though I could be wrong…there's still plenty we don't know about Dumbledore…*munching on pretzel as she ponders Dumbledore*…

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One more chapter to go, everyone! *CHEERS* I did it…I finally did it…the first part is less than a week to being fully posted…^_^


	56. Only the Beginning…

A/N : eh, this chapter follows the American version of leaving secondary school…I know that in England (and probably most other countries) they don't have graduation upon completion of secondary school, but, I wasn't sure how to write it any other way…do hope you all enjoy the last chapter…^_^…the second part, "Rise, Lord Voldemort," will soon be up, so be on the look out for it…

Chapter #56 – Only the Beginning…

June was quickly upon the students and the seventh years rightfully feared their NEWTs. As much as their professors were stressing the importance of making good marks on these tests and the horror stories they had heard from graduates about them, they had a right to be afraid too. These were not going to be anything like the OWLs. These tests were far more in depth and had a lot more theory about the spells used than they had previously been tested on, which meant that Lena was going to do pretty good on it since she _had_ written her major essay on the history of magical theory. Tom knew that if he studied with her he would not have a problem. And having her in all but one of his classes anyway was definitely a plus.

Their final projects were all finished and graded. Tom got excellent marks on all of his work, especially his successful "fire mail" potion. He had sent a letter to Professor Corris through the school's Floo system and he had been shocked when the letter had popped out of the fire and was fully legible. He ran to the laboratory where Tom had been working and exclaimed that it was a marvelous thing. Tom was very pleased with his accomplishment and loved the praises he was soon getting from all his professors. For creating the potion, the teachers all presented him an Award for Magical Merit as well as a _lot_ of points for his house. It was a nice feeling to know you would beat Gryffindor by well over two hundred points.

When the day of the first exam finally arrived, all the seventh years went into them hoping they were prepared. There were questions about spells they had learned, that dealt with the subjects they were taking that went back to the first lessons of their first year. They had to write essays on how the theory behind a certain spell had the same principle effect on another spell of a completely different sort. Even Lena had said she had found herself unprepared for some of the questions they asked, having not thought of certain ways to look at spells and the way some of the things had been taught.

Each of the exams were four hours long and they could not leave the Great Hall, or even get up to stretch for the entire time they were there. There were some very sore hands and backs when the students left their exams. It was exactly how their OWLs had been. They only got lunch as a break then they were off to do the practical exam. It would be two weeks before all the students were done with their exams, but at least they did not have exams every day during that time period.

Tom was personally glad to have the stress over with when he finally left from his Potions practical, his last day of exams. For a week prior to and all during the exams he had had a headache that did not want to go away. He could not rest for the pain, and since he could not sleep, he did not let Lena get much sleep either, keeping her up very late most of the time studying with him. He had had the worst time studying with all the pain, but it was strange for he was getting used to the pain. As soon as their last exam was over, Lena went to her own room to start on nearly fourteen hours of sleep, which made her feel much better before she had to take the test for Astronomy the next evening.

The day after his NEWT's were over with, Tom slipped down to the Chamber of Secrets and said his goodbye to Lilith. He promised her that either he or someone in his place would come back. She seemed extremely sad over the fact that he was leaving her, but she said that she had been alone so much that she was sure that she would survive however much time passed until she was again let loose on the school…and perhaps a _larger_ population as well. Tom smiled when she said that, hoping that would be true.

A few hours before the Leaving Feast, all the seventh years were called down to a meeting room off of the Great Hall where all their parents had gathered. Even the Muggles parents had been allowed to come into the school for _this_ occasion. The parents congratulated their children and talked with the professors about their children. Tom felt very left out, for he had no one to come and be there with him. Lena was running around talking to all her professors and asking about her grades, not paying much attention to him. His other friends were all off chatting with their families. Tom just stood in a corner and looked around, feeling very alone again, as he had when he first got there. He watched everyone, though, realizing how many people he knew. There was a lot of buzzing of conversations around him…and one parent and teacher conversation caught his attention, even though he could not hear it.

Korbin and Dumbledore were having a very involved conversation it looked like. Tom looked upon them suspiciously, wondering what they could have so much to say to each other about. But suddenly Lena came up beside her father and started talking to the professor, as though they had been talking about her. Though he did not trust Dumbledore at all and he did not know what to think about Mr. Westbrook – at the moment – he _did_ trust Lena and he knew that she trusted her father. He had a feeling that he could trust him as well, even if he _was_ talking to that annoying Transfiguration professor.

Tables were set up in that room for the parents to dine in and then their children were told to go take their seats in the Great Hall for the Leaving Feast. The seventh years all went to their house tables and sat down, ready for their last night at the school to begin. They talked about what they were going to do once they graduated. Rex had already been assured a place on the staff of the _Daily Prophet_. Crinis said he could not talk about what he was planning to do, though he was smiling, so it seemed that he was sure that he was going to be getting a position somewhere. Nathan planned to set up a breeding center for domesticated magical creatures in Wales, though he had not yet decided what he was going to breed, but he was thinking about crups and kneazles. Darcy was still not sure what he was going to end up doing, but he hoped to work in the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

Tom all thought they had their lives pretty much in order, but he still was not sure what he was going to do now. His hoped for teacher had been killed by Dumbledore just a little over two months previous. Trying to find another teacher was going to be hard, or so many of his friends had told him. Dark wizards were not all that trusting of someone seeking to be their pupil, but Tom was going to try nonetheless. He wanted to learn more.

Dinner was served and Tom let all of his worries of finding another teacher fade away. He ate his last meal that he would probably ever eat at the school. Just as Nathan had gotten sentimental over hearing the last Sorting Hat song at the beginning of the year, Tom was now feeling the same way about leaving his home. He did not want to leave here, for it _was_ the only home he had known. But he was sure he could find another home.

At the end of the night, the winner of the House Cup was announced to be Slytherin. The entire table cheered. Tom was sure that the reason his house had won was because of his successful experimental potion, which had also gotten him seventy points to his house, on top of awarding him an "Award for Magical Merit." They had beaten both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, who were tied, but the win was only by thirty points.

Once dinner was over and the tables were cleared, the seventh years watched all the younger students leave the Great Hall, but they were to remain. The graduation ceremony was right after the Leaving Feast and they were not allowed to return to their dormitories until it was over. The parents emerged from the small chamber off to the side of the Great Hall and sat with their students, smiling at all the graduates.

Headmaster Dippet rose from the teachers' table, and looked around at the seventh years and their families who fell silent when he got to his feet. His eyes fell particularly on Tom and Mavie, the Head Boy and Girl. "Mr. Riddle, Miss Oakley, would the two of you please come forward."

They rose from their tables and walked forward. They stood on the opposite side of the table from the headmaster, facing each other. They smiled at each other, ready for this to be over with. Tom suddenly felt rather nervous about it all. He had never liked being Head Boy anyway. He was glad he did not have to say any dumb speech. They were just to get special certificates given them by the headmaster and they were to help with the distribution of the diplomas.

"Our two finest pupils of the year." The headmaster smiled at them. "As has so often happened before, I am sure that these two shall go forth into our world and do the greatest things with their talents and their wisdom."

Tom smiled towards Lena, who smiled back. Oh, she knew that what the headmaster had said had been _very_ interesting. She knew more of his plans than did his other friends. She knew some of the little things he wanted to do, because they had talked about traveling together after they left the school. And she knew what he wanted to do was great…but many would not think that it was when he finally carried them out.

"But all the young pupils here today that have completed their seven years of study here at Hogwarts will all surely do great things as well. So many wonderful young men and women, some of whom I wish I could have grown to know better than I did, that will bring a sense of newness to our world as they being their fresh ideas to our lives." Dippet picked up two rolled sheepskins. They were tied with ribbons the color of their house, green and silver for Tom's and yellow and black for Mavie's. "May our Head Boy and Girl go out into the world and make it better than it is today. And may _all_ our graduates do the same."

Tom and Mavie tucked their diplomas into their robes and prepared for their jobs in the ceremony, the actual "handing out" of the diplomas. The deputy headmistress, Professor Madril then took over, setting a stack of unrolled diplomas in front of her. She began reading off the names, starting with Nicholas Asher. Tom suddenly felt like he was going through the Sorting Hat ceremony again.

When she had read off his name, she handed the diploma to Miss Oakley and the Head Girl raised it up, it rolled itself up neatly and went to Mr. Asher. After that, Daniel Black's name was called. Tom did not like having to send that _particular_ student his diploma but there was a reason that Mavie had given out the first diploma. He sent Black his diploma, knowing that the Gryffindor did not like it any better. They had come to rather dislike each other since their first and rather friendly meeting.

And so through the pile Professor Madril went. Tom and Mavie took turns sending all the diplomas out. Then came the last diploma on the pile and the deputy headmistress handed the diploma to Tom. As it rolled itself up, he smiled, saying an extra little spell before it left his hand. It glided to Lena and when it landed in her hands, she saw inside it a red rose. She smiled at Tom, blushing slightly, and he smiled back.

The headmaster then spoke again, to close the short and simple ceremony. "And now, Graduates, go on out into the world and do great things. Make yourselves known. Good luck in all things that you do."

Tom bound from the top of the Great Hall and went to Lena, who kissed his cheek among the celebrating hoard of graduates. They smiled at each other then walked hand-in-hand from the Great Hall, her father behind them. There was no need for words between them. They knew what the other was thinking, as though they could read each other's mind. They were free to do magic away from the school now. They were free to learn in whatever manner they wished. And there was much that Tom had planned to learn in the coming years. But other plans also called to him…other things yearned to be done. Soon his true plans would be able to bloom and he could finish the destruction of the Muggles and Mudbloods that he had failed at two years before. He would make his name great in the wizarding world, and he hoped it would be the same in the Muggle world…

For soon he hoped the world would come to know – and fear – the name Voldemort.

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To my reviewers – 

demon horse 900 – well, that was a good pre-book 5 explanation for me…and Grindelwald isn't necessarily German, I actually think he's either Swiss or Austrian, but, still, he's spent a lot of his life in Germany (though currently resided in Denmark) but all those accents are fairly similar (to my knowledge)…_someone correct me if I'm wrong_!!! And, I thought you said you weren't hyper anymore…what's with your bubbles, eh? Tom's not a backstabber…he is rather torn up about it, if you didn't catch that, he just didn't want everyone else to know that…Dark wizards don't just pop up and say "I'll teach you" to strangers…sorry if I confused you any…

Lady Snake – well, like I said, you may use that idea…I'd never accuse you of stealing my stuff (unless it was something like my characters, you know…^_~)…ideas like his seeing auras I'm sure, before the fifth book, were common…and that's *still* a possibility since we don't know everything about him…and who says that Grindelwald's dead? Eh? ^_~ Did I *say* he was killed? *giggles*

lord archimonde – never said Grindelwald was dead, did I? ^_^ And, remember, Tom *does* have his grimoire, that's got plenty of spells and curses and tidbits of information in it…hmm…Icelandic curses, that sounds very interesting…I might take you up on that offer, though not right now…I need to get back into the mood of writing the second part before I think about curse and spells not in Asian languages…^_~…

Liv - *hug*…it'll be alright…there'll be more…just not in the next week, most likely…still need to hear back from my beta reader…but she's busy right now so I understand why she hasn't gotten back to me yet…*hands you a tissue*…and I hope you like the second part as well as you did the first one…

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Well, that's it…^_^…I've finished posting part one…part two will be coming up very soon. Be on the lookout for it…the title will be "Rise, Lord Voldemort"…slightly cheesy sounding title, but, in a year of working on it, I've not thought of a better title…see you all again soon…and be sure to tell me what you think of this part…thanks everyone for reading, if you reviewed or not…see you around…Love you, Sati…


	57. Author Notes and Thanks

Okay, everyone, this is it, the final chapter that will be put up with this story...  
  
This is my update page for my last words to my reviewers (if you're talked to here, there's not need to review me again), my last thanks (like at the beginning of the story), and for updates to the upcoming sequels...  
  
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First things first...about the sequel...  
  
FINALLY!!! The second part of the story, entitled "Rise, Lord Voldemort", is up!!! Or it should be up...^_^; Thanks so much to my beta reader...and thankfully my writer's block seems to be slowly drifting away...I'll be posting a chapter a week hopefully...and I hope you will all enjoy the next third of the story as much as the first...  
  
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Secondly...my *massive* list of thank you's...  
  
I wish to thank all the following people for their help and understanding of my "little" obsession.....  
  
Mattie and Chelsea (my beta-readers).....  
  
My hubby Jonathan, Mora, Leanne, Maggie, Reba, Deanne, Len, and my mother (for all the ideas they've given me).....  
  
Clay, Kalayna, Melissa, and all the aforementioned people (for putting up with my obsessive ramblings).....  
  
All the people involved in my old HP RPG (for indirect inspiration - especially Veg {Snape} and Bu {Lucius} for their *very* interesting duel, as well as Moody's duel with me).....  
  
The Harry Potter Lexicon (www.hp-lexicon.org) which is the greatest source for HP info on the web...  
  
The History Channel's website (historychannel.com), which I forgot to mention in the previous part of this fanfic for the WWII information I obtained there, as well as some minor info for this part of the story...  
  
And, most especially, J.K. Rowling for writing her wonderful story and who (along with Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and WB) owns Harry Potter and all its characters and ideas (only the original characters/places/ideas herein are my property).....  
  
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And, last of all, the final responses to my reviewers...  
  
Lady Snake - I will e-mail you when the sequel finally gets posted, promise...^_^  
  
Sharker11 - glad you liked it...  
  
demonhorse900 - I know all this stuff about Grindelwald cause I read...though much is still assumptions, I hope I'm pretty close to the truth...you embarrass me -_-; ...and you're very much insane, young lady...  
  
lord archimonde - well, I had to close down the story...couldn't have anything too climatic happening right at the end, you know...though I still think it's terribly puzzling what Tom's going to do, right? Or am I wrong? *shrugs* Oh well... And I'll get the next part out ASAP...  
  
Liv - I doubt I'll be changing the title...if after a year of working on it I keep the title the way it is, there's little chance of change there...and the next parts are written...it's just a matter of getting them beta'ed, you know...  
  
RivanKnight - yes, lost his teacher, but you know he'll find another SEVERAL...^_~...and Albus and Korbin consorting? Whatever could you mean?! And I didn't mean that way...:-P I knew what you meant...  
  
Man Snake - thanks for saying it's cool...and I plan to have the next part out soon...  
  
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And everyone remember...I don't own Harry Potter...that honor belongs to Joanne Kathleen Rowling (along with Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and AOL/Time Warner)... 


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